


Mermaids and Yakuza

by Dorianssecretlibrary



Series: Fluffy McHanzo Things [5]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Genji is a Little Shit, Hair Braiding, Happy Ending, Healthy Relationships, Heart-to-Heart, Kissing, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mostly Fluff, Noodle Dragons, Nudity, Partial Nudity, Smut, Young Genji Shimada, Young Hanzo Shimada, Young Jesse McCree, genji is the best, good dad shimada, he's trying his best, mermaid au, no actual pet/master dynamics, young mchanzo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-17 08:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8137222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorianssecretlibrary/pseuds/Dorianssecretlibrary
Summary: Hanzo and Genji are given a mysterious 'pet' by their father in order to teach them responsibility.They learn a lot more than just responsibility.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> ~This means they are speaking in Japanese ~  
> ^^^ i regret this choice but its too late to go back
> 
> This will be updated irregularly because I have school and work  
> Not Beta read  
> Hope you like it!  
> Comments and criticisms always welcome! :)  
> 

~Hanzo, Genji, I have summoned you here for a reason.~ Their father stated. ~You both have excelled in your training, but I believe you two need to learn responsibility. That is why I have acquired a _pet_ for you to care for. ~

~You got us a pet? ~ Genji questioned. ~I thought dogs and cats weren’t _tolerated_ on our family’s grounds. ~

~I did not say it was a dog or cat. ~ Their father replied. ~Come with me. It will be easier to show you. ~

Hanzo and Genji followed their father into what was once a guest bedroom. Now it contained a fish tank that could easily rival an aquarium.

~You got us fish? ~ Hanzo questioned.

~Why’s it so big? ~ Genji asked. Both boys looked to their father for answers.

~Look inside the tank and see for yourselves. ~ Their father replied. ~I have work that I must attend to, but I expect that you will both do your best to care for your new pet ~ He added before taking his leave.

Both brothers began walking around the tank. ~Ok, when the hell did father do this? And how did I not know a giant aquarium was being built?  ~ Genji muttered. ~Brother did you know he was doing this? ~

~No. ~ Hanzo replied, moving closer to inspect the tank. There didn’t seem to be much in it. Hanzo could see that the tank was sparsely decorated with live rock and hardy corals, but not much else. The tank was an open top, it took up most of the room, and it had a large filtration unit attached to it.

~Brother! Over here, I see something! ~ Genji called from across the tank.

As Hanzo turned the corner of the tank and began walking towards Genji, he could see the tail of a fish, a very large fish. ~What is that? ~ Hanzo muttered. When he stood next to Genji, he could clearly see that the fish turned into a man around it’s stomach. Whatever it was, it was sleeping at the moment.

~Mermaid, father wants us to take care of a mermaid. ~ Genji mumbled, disbelief mixed with excitement.

~How are we supposed to know how to care for this? ~ Hanzo questioned.

~I found a note on the tank, it’s father’s handwriting. ~ Genji stated. ~He said that the mermaid is half red snapper, and that he was caught in the Gulf of Mexico, and that’s about it. ~

~I doubt we will find any accurate information on _mermaids_ , but I will begin researching red snappers. We should find out what their diet is first. ~ Hanzo commented.

~Wait, shouldn’t we name him or something? He’s an American mermaid we should give him an American name! ~ Genji remarked.

~You are the one who watches American films and plays their games. ~ Hanzo retorted. ~As long as you do not name him something ridiculous, I do not care. ~

Genji paused a moment, looking the mermaid over. Tan skin, red scales, brown hair. ~He’s definitely not a John or a Michael ~ He muttered to himself. ~Maybe.. McCree? What do you think brother? ~

~McCree is sufficient. ~ Hanzo stated, looking on his phone to find out the basic care for red snapper.

~Hey, I think he’s waking up. ~ Genji whispered, nudging Hanzo to get him to look up at the tank.

\--

Jesse blinked and rubbed his eyes. His head felt like he had banged it against the rocks a few times. When he looked around he was immediately confused. Past the rocks and coral, he could see red walls of something, and there was some weird humming noise in the water. When he tried to get up, his eyes landed on the prettiest person he’d ever seen. He looked like a koi, or at least what he’d heard koi looked like. There was another koi next to him, with green hair. Jesse didn’t know koi could have green hair, hell he didn’t even know what kind of water they swam in. Speaking of, they didn’t look like they were swimming, at least not very well.   

Jesse cautiously moved closer. He didn’t know how aggressive or territorial koi were. As he swam closer, his head hit something. He didn’t see anything in his way? He could hear the green koi laughing, but no bubbles were coming out? Jesse reached his hand out and felt some sort of invisible wall, separating them. _Weird_. Almost as weird as the fact that he could now see that they weren’t koi, they had legs, _they were human_. But human can’t breathe underwater? Right?

He could remember his ma telling him stories about mermaids and other fish captured by humans. The ones that they didn’t eat they kept in glass tanks. He didn’t know what glass was at the time, but if he had to guess, it was whatever the invisible wall was made off. Well, this could be worse, Jesse tried to reason with himself. _They could have tried to eat him._

\--

~Genji! Don’t laugh! ~ Hanzo scolded.

~What? It was funny. ~ Genji defended. ~I don’t think McCree knows what glass is. _Oh my god I’m going to go get a mirror_. I’ll be back in a sec! ~ He added before running off.

Hanzo let out a small sigh, and turned his gaze back to the mermaid in the tank. ~Do you know how to speak? Can you understand me? ~ Hanzo questioned.

This was met with silence; the mermaid wore a confused expression.

~Of course you cannot speak, what was I even thinking. ~ Hanzo muttered to himself.

McCree looked up, seeing what looked like the surface of the water. He ran his hand along the glass as he swam to the top of the tank, and pulled himself up to the edge, supporting himself with his weight on his arms. “Darlin’, I think yer tryin’ ta talk ta me but I got no idea what yer tryin’ ta say.” He said, some water dripping over the top of the tank and onto the floor.

“You speak English?” Hanzo questioned, taken aback for a moment by the mermaid’s sudden response.

“Yeah, Spanish too, but I got no idea what you were speakin’ before.” Jesse replied.

“Where did you learn to speak?” Hanzo asked.

“My mama taught me.” Jesse stated.

“Your mother?” Hanzo questioned.

“Yeah, didn’t yer ma teach ya how ta talk?” Jesse retorted. “And, if ya don’t mind me askin’, where am I?”

“Hanamura, Japan.” Hanzo replied, ignoring the first question.

Jesse could only imagine the blank stare he was giving the human. “I have no idea where that is.” He stated; it certainly wasn’t an ocean or a sea. “So, this is one of them tank things init?” He added, tapping his finger against the rim of the tank. “Guess that means I ‘ _belong’_ ta ya now, right?” Jesse didn’t really remember the details of what being captured meant when his mama explained it to him. He always thought they’d just be stories. He’d never imagined that it’d happen to him.

“Yes.” Hanzo replied after a moment. “Do you not remember anything before you were brought here. Or your life before that?”

“Well, I grew up in a big school, lots of snappers like me. Rip current, pulled me away from my school, never did find my way back.” McCree explained. “Got mixed up with a school o’ barracuda fer a while, then I got tangled in something, like a jellyfish that didn’t sting. The more I tried ta get out the more stuck I got. Then I was pulled up ta the surface. Don’t remember much other than the sun being mighty bright, and being hit over the head with somethin’ hard.”

“That sounds awful.” Hanzo muttered.

“It’s not all bad.” Jesse replied, giving the man a small shrug. “They didn’t kill me.”

\--

Before Hanzo could reply, Genji came bounding back into the room and scaled the tank so he was next to McCree, holding up a hand mirror to the mermaid. ~Hey, McCree, check this out! ~ He chirped, grinning as the mermaid fell back into the water in surprise.

~Genji! Look at what you have done. ~ Hanzo exclaimed, gesturing to all of the water that splashed out of the tank and onto the floor. ~You not only made a mess but you startled him! What if he’d injured himself on the rocks? ~

~I’ll clean it up in a bit. ~ Genji replied nonchalantly, landing back down of the floor. ~And he seems fine to me. ~ He held the mirror up to the glass for McCree to inspect.

Hanzo had to admit that it was rather endearing to see the curiosity and wonder on the mermaid’s face as he slowly realized that he was staring at his own reflection.

Jesse swam back up to the top of the tank. “What is that little thing? How’d I get inside it?” He asked.

“McCree can talk?” Genji questioned.

“My name’s Jesse, but you can call me McCree if you want.” Jesse answered.

“It is a mirror, and you are not inside it, it reflects the image of what is in front of it.” Hanzo explained.

Jesse nodded, sort of getting what that meant. He paused a moment, realizing he didn’t ever get the human’s names. “So, what do I call you?” He questioned. “Humans got names too don’t they?”

“Oh, right, I’m Genji, and that’s Hanzo.” Genji introduced.

“Nice ta meetcha.” Jesse replied. “I suppose I’m Jesse McCree now.” He grinned and ran his fingers through his damp hair, pushing it out of his face.

His smile was infectious, Hanzo could feel his own lips start to curl into a small smile. Being around McCree was like being around a ray of sunshine. It was all very overwhelming. Hanzo took a moment to look over Jesse’s figure, his human half had strong shoulders with a muscular build, _a swimmer’s body_. It seemed like McCree had caught him staring if that smirk was anything to go by; Hanzo quickly averted his gaze.

“Hey McCree, how old are you?” Genji asked.

“I dunno, I didn’t really keep track..” Jesse replied honestly. “Probably about 17 now, if I had to guess.”

“Oh? If that’s true that means Hanzo’s a year older than you.” Genji commented.

Genji smiled and looked over at Hanzo who had gone quiet. He could’ve sworn Hanzo looked almost flustered? As realization dawned on him, his own grin grew mischievous.

~Brother, I am going to go get McCree something to eat, why don’t you stay and watch him for a while. ~ Genji suggested, before running off to the kitchens.

Hanzo let out an irritated sigh as he watched Genji run off before he could respond.        

“He do that a lot?” Jesse questioned.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Hanzo replied, turning his gaze back to the mermaid.

“What’d he say anyway?” Jesse asked.

“That he would try to find you something suitable to eat.” Hanzo replied. “Which reminds me, I was reading that red snappers cannot tolerate the fluctuations in temperature, salinity, and the pH of the tank. Are you having any problems with the water currently?”

“Well I don’t know what salinity or ‘p’ ‘h’ are, but I can regulate the water to suit me mighty fine. My ma said it was a mermaid thing.” Jesse explained.

“That is.. rather helpful actually.” Hanzo remarked. “Is the tank big enough for you?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t call it big, but it’s not cramped in here, so it’s fine.” Jesse replied. “Everything seems kinda small when compared ta the open ocean.” He added.

“I suppose you have a point.” Hanzo acknowledged. “Is there anything I can get you to make you feel more at home here?”

“Nothin’ that I can think off at the moment.” Jesse replied “But I’ll letcha know if I think of somethin’ ”

“I got a question.” Jesse stated, looking over at Hanzo.

“What is it?” Hanzo replied.

“Are all human’s as pretty as you?” Jesse asked, a small smirk playing on his lips as he watched the smaller man become flustered.

“All human’s look different.” Hanzo stated.

“Then I guess I’m lucky yer the one I belong to.” He said, throwing a wink in for good measure before letting himself slip back into the water. Satisfied with the light pink that dusted his human’s cheeks.

Genji returned a few minutes later with a bag of frozen shrimps. He used the ladder on the side of the tank to climb up and toss a few in.

Jesse had to admit his curiosity was piqued. He swam over to where the frozen shrimps were slowly sinking in the water. They were already dead, which took a little of the fun out of catching them, but food was food. Jesse let his second row of retractable teeth come out, they were long needle like teeth, similar to a red snapper’s. He ate the frozen shrimp whole. There wasn’t much to chew since they were hard as rocks, at least they tasted better than rocks. He swam around, catching the shrimp in his mouth before they could reach the sandy bottom of the tank.

When Genji was out of shrimps, he joined his brother at the bottom of the tank. McCree soon resurfaced once he’d finished the last of his meal.

“So McCree, do you know any tricks?” Genji questioned.

“ _Genji_.” Hanzo muttered.

“I know a couple.” McCree replied. “Watch this.” He added, slipping back into the water. He let his fingers form the shape of a gun and pulled it back, mimicking a recoil. As he did, a bright light was shot through the water and disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.

“What was that?!” Genji questioned, excitement clear in his voice.

“I call it a flash bang.” Jesse replied. “I usually use it when hunting, it’ll stun whatever I hit long enough fer me ta grab it.”

“What else can you do?” Genji questioned.

“Well, I got two pairs a teeth, my normal ones ‘nd my huntin’ ones.” Jesse replied. “Usually keep my huntin’ teeth tucked away when I’m not huntin’ ”

“Cool.” Genji mumbled. ~Hanzo, this is so much better than getting a dog. ~

Hanzo rolled his eyes. ~You are too easily amused. ~ He stated.

~Am I? You certainly seemed _interested_ in our new pet. ~ Genji retorted.

Hanzo let out a huff. ~I am going to go train. ~ He remarked before storming out of the room, a light blush on his cheeks.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Jesse questioned.

“No, Hanzo just likes to brood. It’s his thing.” Genji assured him. A familiar wry grin crossed Genji’s face. “McCree, you don’t know that much about human’s do you?”

“I know next ta nothin’ ‘bout humans.” Jesse admitted. “Only ever saw a handful on boats, ‘nd that was from a distance.”

“Well, allow me to teach you some of our customs.” Genji suggested.

\--

Later that evening, Genji once again was shirking his responsibilities and had run off to the arcade, leaving Hanzo to care to McCree by himself.

He went to the kitchen and collected a bowl of fresh fish, and a smaller bowl of frozen mussels. Hanzo figured that he might want to try and get McCree something _alive_ in the future, probably not for every meal, but something to keep his predator instincts sharp.

Hanzo entered McCree’s room, finding the mermaid swimming around his enclosure. When McCree noticed him, he gave the man a small wave and swam to the top of the tank.

“Howdy.” He greeted. “Whatcha got there?” He added, noticing the bowls that Hanzo was carrying, along with the distinct fishy smell they produced.

“Dinner.” Hanzo replied, carrying the bowls up the ladder. McCree met him at the top, arms resting on the edge of the tank. “Here you go, the bowls should help you keep sand out of your food.”

McCree eagerly took the bowls from Hanzo, carefully swimming down to the bottom with them and setting them down on top of the sand. He swam back up, meeting Hanzo’s gaze. He closed the space between them and pressed his lips to Hanzo’s cheek. When he pulled back, he noticed that the man had gone red and seemed to be startled by the gesture.

“What was that?!” Hanzo questioned, feeling his cheeks heat up. The spot McCree had kissed was now damp with water.

“Genji said that was how human’s say ‘ _thanks_.’ Did I do it wrong?” Jesse asked. Hell, he was trying to be polite, not upset the man.

Hanzo blinked, now understanding the situation. “No, Genji was just playing another one of his tricks. That was a kiss, and it doesn’t mean ‘thanks’ ” Hanzo explained.

“Then what does it mean?” Jesse questioned, watching the man’s blush darken.

“I will tell you another time, right now I need to have a word with my brother.” Hanzo stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'like a jellyfish that didn't sting' refers to a net in case that wasn't clear
> 
> You can send me prompts or ideas for this fic at my tumblr mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> If English isn’t your first language:  
> Init = isn’t it  
> Kinda = kind of  
> Letcha = let you  
> Whatcha = what (do) you  
> if there's a ' before a word, like 'bout, that means a letter isn't being pronounced in the word and the ' is taking the place of that letter.  
> For example:  
> 'bout = about  
> the difference is 'bout doesn't use the "a" sound, the would starts with the "b" instead. It's an accent thing.  
> also it can some times take up two letters rather than just one  
> For example:  
> 'em = them  
> 'sides = besides
> 
> another accent thing  
> ya = you  
> ta = to  
> fer = for


	2. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji gets to know McCree a bit more.

Genji was still at the arcade when Hanzo found him. He was surrounded by women and children alike as he played. Hanzo had half a mind to simply unplug the damned machine and drag his brother home, but it would look bad on their family’s image if he did that so publicly. No, he waited patiently for his brother to finish the game, the crowd cheering for him as he beat the machine’s high score.

Hanzo made his way over to his brother, arms folded across his chest and glaring daggers into him. Genji was startled at first by Hanzo’s presence, since he usually just let Genji come home whenever he was done rather than track him down, but after seeing that glare, the younger Shimada wore a shit eating grin. He excused himself from the group, informing them that he had to go home.

When the two were alone, Genji poked at Hanzo’s arm. ~So what’s got your fundoshi in a twist? ~  He asked innocently.

~You know exactly what you did. ~ Hanzo replied, adding a small bite to his tone. ~Why did you lie to McCree? ~

~I didn’t lie to him. ~ Genji defended.

~Teaching him false ‘ _human customs’_ is the same as lying, Genji. ~ Hanzo retorted.

~ _Human customs_ , not Japanese customs. Everything I taught his is done by some group of humans. ~ Genji stated. ~Probably. ~ He added under his breath.

Hanzo let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. ~I cannot believe you sometimes. ~ He muttered.

~So. ~ Genji started, looking over at Hanzo. ~Which _custom_ did McCree do? ~ He questioned, smirking as he watched Hanzo’s cheeks heat up.

Hanzo paused for a moment, considering whether he should tell Genji or not. Though since Genji could simply ask McCree about it later, there was no use in delaying the inevitable. ~He tried to show his thanks. ~ Hanzo supplied, rolling his eyes as he watched Genji stop in his tracks because he was laughing so much.

~That’s all? Man you’re so easy to rile up bro. ~ Genji remarked. ~I thought it was a lot worse than just a kiss on the cheek. ~

~What else did you teach him?! ~ Hanzo questioned.

~Oh I’m sure you’ll find out eventually. ~ Genji hummed.

Hanzo let out an irritated sigh. ~If you are going to continue your tricks in the future, I don’t care how they involve me, but leave McCree out of them. ~

~Aww, you do have a heart. ~ Genji teased. ~McCree’s made you soft. ~

~Father has made it our responsibility to care for him. What have you done for McCree besides tease and mislead him? ~ Hanzo stated. ~ You can’t take advantage of his naivety. He doesn’t understand because he’s never been taught our ways; you cannot continue to lie to him. ~

~Geez, you’re making me feel bad about it now. ~ Genji remarked, rubbing the back of his neck. ~Alright, I’ll try to take better care of him. Happy? ~

~Yes, I am. You need to be patient, but I believe you and McCree will get along if you ever try and talk to him rather than merely tease him. ~ Hanzo replied.

~I will. ~ Genji promised. ~In the morning that is, I think it’s a little past McCree’s bedtime right about now. ~ He added, looking up at the moon as it shone over the Shimada Castle, it wouldn’t be too long before the next full moon.

\--

Genji made his way to the kitchen and decided to try and give McCree some more human options. He grabbed two Bentos filled with sushi, since that seemed like a safe middle ground to start with, and headed over to McCree’s room.

When Genji came in, he could see McCree sleeping in the center of the tank, where it was more sandy than rocky. He decided to knock on the glass to try and wake McCree up. After a few good knocks McCree seemed to startle awake, looking over at the source of the sound.

Jesse could feel vibrations in the water, and a loud thumping noise that woke him from his sleep. He instinctively looked around for the source, to assess the danger around him, only to see a familiar man with green hair standing on the other side of the glass. Jesse felt a bit relieved that it was just Genji instead of something dangerous. He swam up to the top of the tank to greet him. “Morning.” He said, voice still heavy with sleep.

“Good morning, McCree.” Genji chirped, moving to climb up the ladder. “I brought you breakfast.” He added, showing McCree the Bento boxes. “You might want to try eating them out of the water.” He suggested.

Jesse looked curiously at the two boxes. “Why? What is it?” He questioned.

“Sushi.” Genji supplied, handing McCree the first box. “It’s human food that’s made with fish. I think you’ll like it, but it might fall apart if you drop it in the water.”

Jesse nodded, and then opened the box, finding little round things that he guessed were sushi. He picked one up and put it in his mouth. He could taste the fish and seaweed along with a few other flavors he’d never had before. These little things were pretty tasty. “Hey Genji, what’s this green paste stuff?” He questioned, noticing it in the corner of the Bento.

Genji almost told McCree to try it and see for himself, but seeing as there was a good chance McCree had never had anything spicy before, living his whole life in the ocean, and the fact that he’d already teased him a lot, he decided not to. “That’s wasabi, it’s really spicy and will make your mouth hot if you have too much of it, but if you put a small portion on your sushi, it adds a little heat and flavor to it.” He explained.

Jesse took what he considered to be a small portion and put some on one of the pieces of sushi. He tried it, and at first didn’t really taste the difference, until he did. His eyes started to water and his mouth felt like it was burning, especially the back of his throat. McCree coughed a few times, and set the Bento down on the rim of the tank so he could go back under water and try to get some relief for the burning.

Genji was doing his best not to laugh at the poor mermaid. He also supposed it was a good thing he hadn’t told McCree to try a lot of it; he might have died or something. He made a mental note not to give McCree any wasabi until he worked his way up with weaker spices first.

Jesse wiped his runny nose before resurfacing again. “I uh, don’t think that’s fer me.” He stated. Moving to finish his sushi and avoid the wasabi.

When McCree was finished eating, Genji set the now empty Bento boxes on the floor. “Hey McCree, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.” Jesse replied.

“What was it like being free in the ocean? Out there on your own?” Genji questioned.

“I mean I was rarely ever _on my own_. But it was nice, swimming endlessly through the ocean, never had ta worry ‘bout hitting my head against glass.” Jesse mused. “I also can’t really ‘speed swim’ anymore. Not enough room.”

“I guess that’s true.” Genji stated. “Why weren’t you ever by yourself? You didn’t need to stay with other mermaids.”

“I’m not one of them fancy fishes with venom. I don’t really do well without a school. It’s dangerous being by yerself.” Jesse explained.

“Do you have no other forms of self-defense? How does your species survive?” Genji questioned.

“Well, all us merfolk have some sort of powers, but ya gotta figure ‘em out. I was supposed to learn how ta use ‘em from my school, but I got separated from ‘em before I learned anything past the basics.” Jesse stated.

“What are ‘ _the basics’_?” Genji asked.

“Well, there’s some fancy words for ‘em, but I don’t really remember ‘em. It’s like this, I can heat up water, I can sorta control water, I got my flash bang, and I if I tried hard enough I can control the weather, but that one’s kinda hard ta do.” Jesse replied. “There are a lota other tricks I know I _should_ be able ta use, but I don’t know how. Hell the only one I really know how ta use is my flash bang, the others… I’m not so good at.” He admitted.

Genji had been doing some research of his own, though rather than look up red snappers like Hanzo, he’d decided to research mermaids. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his list of mermaid powers he’d been looking at. “So, Hydro-Thermokinesis, Hydrokinesis, and Atmokinesis.”

“That sounds like them fancy names, yeah.” McCree replied.

~Cool. ~ Genji mumbled. “So why didn’t you practice them before?” He asked.

“Mainly because I was running with a school of barracuda mermaids, and they’re all sorts of mean. I was too busy watching my own tail to practice.” McCree explained.

“Well, you can practice now! Come on, let’s try, please?” Genji pleaded.

“I mean, I guess I can try?” McCree stated. He was having a hard time saying no to that face, besides, he didn’t really have a reason not to.

\--

Hanzo had finished his training earlier than he usually would, and headed to the kitchen to prepare McCree’s lunch. He gathered two bowls of fresh shrimp and sliced fish. When he entered McCree’s room, he nearly dropped the bowls.

There was water floating above McCree’s tank in little round orbs. Genji was sitting on the rim of the tank next to McCree, neither seeming to notice Hanzo’s presence, both too focused on the floating water above them.

“What is going on here?!” Hanzo questioned, causing them both to lose their focus and the water to come crashing down into the tank, splashing Genji, McCree, and the floor.

~Shit.~ Genji muttered, wiping the water off of his face. “Brother, McCree was just getting the hang of that one, you couldn’t have waited like five more minutes?” Genji whined.

“What are you talking about?” Hanzo asked.

Genji hopped down and pulled out his phone, which luckily hadn’t gotten wet, and showed it to Hanzo. “Well, I’ve been doing some of my own research-”

“ _Mako mermaids_? You are getting your information from an old tv show’s Wikipedia page?” Hanzo questioned.

“Yes, and not the point, Brother.” Genji quipped. “McCree has some of these powers, but he doesn’t really know how to use them, I was helping him practice.”

“What would you know about helping him practice ‘mermaid magic?’ ” Hanzo asked.

~ _I’m pretty good with Dragon magic_. ~ Genji retorted.

“That is beside the point.” Hanzo replied, looking at Genji to see his brother giving him his ‘puppy eyes.’ He let out a small sigh. “Just try not to make a mess.” He relented.

~Yes! ~ Genji cheered, fist pumping the air.

“After you finish your training for the day.” Hanzo added.

Genji pouted and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He mumbled, leaving the room to go train.

Hanzo approached McCree’s tank, finding no way to approach the ladder without getting his shoes wet.

“Sorry ‘bout the mess.” Jesse apologized, looking at the water that covered the floor.

“It is alright, you didn’t mean to, and I did startle you.” Hanzo stated. “I brought you lunch.” He added, moving to climb the ladder.

“Thanks.” Jesse said, taking the two bowls from Hanzo. “You ever gonna tell me what a kiss is by the way?” He questioned.

Hanzo felt a light pink start to flush on his cheeks. “You didn’t ask Genji?” He asked.

“No, you said you’d tell me ‘another time’ so I figured I’d just wait fer ya ta tell me.” McCree stated.

Hanzo paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain it. “A kiss is something shared between two people who care for each other, usually romantically. It is a way to show love.” He explained. “I’m not sure if mermaids have ‘ _mates’_ but it would be something they would do.”

“So it’s like a courtship thing?” McCree questioned.

“Yes and no, a kiss is usually shared after someone has already been courted.” Hanzo stated.

“Well, I’m sorry for kissing you then.” McCree apologized.

“No, there is no need for that.” Hanzo replied, feeling his blush darken. “I was just startled by it.”

“So it I successfully ‘ _court’_ you, does that mean I can kiss you again?” Jesse questioned.

Hanzo chuckled. “You can certainly try.” He replied, dipping his hand in the water to splash some at Jesse.

McCree grinned. “Oh, I intend to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can send me prompts or ideas for this fic at my tumblr mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> McCree’s powers:
> 
> Flash bang – similar to a pistol shrimp, but with a bright flash of light  
> Atmokinesis - The power to control and manipulate the weather itself and its various aspects. It's a natural ability.  
> Hydrokinesis is the elemental ability to create, control and manipulate liquid water at will.  
> Hydro-Thermokinesis is the ability to heat and boil the water.
> 
> Genji's sources:  
> http://makomermaids.wikia.com/wiki/Mermaid_Powers
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC6I8iPiHT8


	3. Small Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo spends some more time with McCree and gets to know him a little better
> 
> Also McCree sings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, so i know i wanted McCree to sing, and i spent so much time trying to find a song about the ocean, moon, or mermaids and just ended up picking a fucking country song, so here it is.
> 
> Since it's my headcanon that McCree sounds like Josh Turner:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFz61X2PQTw

It was rare that Genji actually showed up for Meditation, and more so that he stayed for the entire session. Hanzo was not quite sure what had gotten into his brother, though he was finding it hard to complain about, after all he had been trying to get Genji to do this for years.

When the session ended, Hanzo turned his gaze to his brother.

~You have been spending a lot of time with McCree, Brother. ~ Hanzo commented.

~Yeah, well I’m supposed to aren’t I? ~ Genji replied. ~He’s actually a lot of fun to be around. ~ He admitted.

~What do you mean? ~ Hanzo questioned, wondering what Genji meant by _fun_.

~Well, for one thing, did you know he’s really good at singing? Like incredibly good. I can totally understand the _siren_ thing. ~ Genji commented.

 ~What is that supposed to mean exactly? ~ Hanzo asked. ~Are you really expecting me to believe that he possesses the power to lure men to their deaths? ~

~ _No, not like that_. ~ Genji replied.  ~It’s just really nice to listen to. I didn’t understand any of his songs since I think they were all in Spanish; he said his mother taught them to him. ~ He explained. ~ I also started playing some American music for him and he seems to enjoy it. ~

~You played him American music? Why not something Japanese? ~ Hanzo questioned.

~Well, McCree doesn’t speak Japanese. I played him a few songs but he just seemed confused by them. ~ Genji remarked. ~Then I tried some old American music and he really liked that. ~

~Have you by chance made any progress with McCree’s abilities? ~ Hanzo asked.

~You’ll be happy to hear that McCree is improving. ~ Genji stated. ~I think he’s starting to understand how to control his powers now. ~

~It’s only been a week, Genji. ~ Hanzo commented. ~I don’t think this is something that can be mastered so quickly. ~

~I never said he _mastered_ anything, ~ Genji retorted. ~I just mean he’s got the basics down. ~ 

~I suppose that’s a good start. ~ Hanzo remarked.

~I’ve been working with McCree so much that I’ve been forgetting to sneak out to the arcade. ~ Genji commented. ~I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without playing ‘Fighters of the Storm.’ ~

~Oh no, what a shame. ~ Hanzo muttered, rolling his eyes. A small smile playing on his lips as Genji shoved his shoulder in mock offense.

~This is a serious milestone for me, Brother. ~ Genji stated.

~I think you might actually be learning responsibility. ~ Hanzo commented.

Genji narrowed his eyes. ~Are you making fun of me? ~ He questioned.

~ _Never_. ~ Hanzo replied, letting out a small chuckle as Genji punched his arm. ~But in all seriousness Brother, I am glad to see you improving. ~ He added, putting his hand on Genji’s shoulder. ~I will take care of McCree today; I believe you have earned a break. ~

~Weren’t you just proud of how I haven’t been slacking off and taking breaks? ~ Genji asked.

~I believe your hard work should be rewarded, ~ Hanzo stated ~And taking a break and shirking your responsibilities are two very different things, Genji. ~

~Well, if you insist. ~ Genji replied. ~It would be rude of me not to take you up on such a generous offer Brother. ~

~Just try not to stay out too late if you decide to go out. ~ Hanzo stated, standing to leave.

~Got somewhere to be? ~ Genji questioned. ~ _And here I thought we were having a moment_. ~

Hanzo smiled and rolled his eyes. ~I believe the live seafood I ordered for McCree should have arrived today. I am going to check the kitchen. ~ He explained.

~Do you think he’ll want _live_ food? ~ Genji questioned.

~Brother, he used to live in the ocean. I can assure you he is more used to eating _live_ than dead seafood. ~ Hanzo stated.

~Yeah, I see your point. ~ Genji concurred. ~I guess I forget about that sometimes. ~

~I’ll be going then. ~ Hanzo said, walking towards the door.

~Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! ~ Genji remarked as he watched Hanzo leave.

\--

When Hanzo arrived to the kitchen, he found that his packages had been delivered and set aside for him. There were two medium sized boxes, one with crabs, one with bags of fish. The fish were imported from the Gulf of Mexico, so hopefully they wouldn’t upset McCree’s diet. He picked up the boxes and carried them over to McCree’s room.

The mermaid was swimming around the tank carelessly as he waited for one of the Shimada brothers to visit him. Hanzo set the boxes down by McCree’s ladder, the sound seeming to grab the mermaid’s attention.

Jesse swam to the top of the tank to greet Hanzo. “Howdy, darlin’ ” He said, pushing the damp hair out of his face. “Haven’t seen ya in while.”

“I’ve been busy. My father had business meetings that he wanted me to accompany him on. ” Hanzo explained. “I hope Genji was taking good care of you.”

“I certainly can’t complain.” Jesse replied. “He’s been good to me.”

“That is reassuring to hear.” Hanzo stated.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s with the boxes?” Jesse questioned.

“I got you something special to eat today.” Hanzo replied, smiling as he watched McCree’s growing curiosity. “I assumed you are more accustomed to eating ‘fresh’ food, so I ordered some live for you.” He explained, opening the boxes to make sure the crabs claws were not tied, so McCree could not accidently eat rubber. He closed the first box and carried it up the ladder. Dumping the crabs in the tank. Then he climbed back down to grab the second box and emptied the fish in one by one. When he climbed back down, he could see McCree already beginning his hunt.

With his second row of teeth out, and his flashbang ready, Jesse began to swim around his tank, looking for his first target. He was surprised to see that he recognized these fish, and knew which ones tasted the best. He’d almost forgotten how much fun this was, and how much better things tasted fresh. Not that the food he’d been given before was bad, his taste buds just weren’t accustomed it.

Hanzo had not really been sure what he had expected to see when Jesse hunted. Perhaps he though McCree would act more like an animal, a predator killing and eating anything that moved. He had not been expecting the calculated decision making or precise execution of his flashbang followed by a swift attack. Hanzo was certain that if he had blinked he would have missed it. McCree certainly did not waste time, as soon as he hit something, it was gone, leaving only a small cloud of blood that quickly disappeared. It was actually quite impressive.

When Jesse felt full, he swam up to the top of the tank. “Have ta hand it to ya, that felt good.” He commented. “Tasted good too.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” Hanzo replied, moving to sit down on the wooden floor.

\--

Hanzo could feel beads of sweat forming on his neck, it was hot today. He pulled a fan out of his pocket, and tried to cool himself down. Hanzo found himself envying the cool water Jesse swam in.

“Hot?” Jesse questioned.

“Yes.” Hanzo replied. “I don’t suppose you can change the weather can you?”

“Genji and I haven’t really worked on that one yet.” Jesse stated. “I mean, _I could try_ , but I might make a blizzard instead. I don’t really know how this works.” He added, giving Hanzo an apologetic look.

Hanzo let out a small sigh. “What have you been working on?” He questioned, taking a moment to slip out of his sleeves, tying them around his waist.

“I’ve gotten pretty good at controlling and heating up water.” Jesse replied. “Genji thought it’d would be a good place ta start.” Jesse’s eyes were drawn to the blue that ran down Hanzo’s arm. He didn’t know that humans could have colors like that on their skin; he’d heard they were all plain colored since they didn’t have scales. Were they like octopus where they could change their skin color at will? And why only the one arm? That seemed a little redundant. It was pretty, whatever it was for.

“You seem distracted.” Hanzo commented.

Jesse’s eyes drifted back up to Hanzo’s face. “Sorry, just didn’t know humans could be more than one color.”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes and raised a brow. “What does that mean?” He questioned.

“Yer arm.” Jesse stated. “It’s blue, but the rest of ya isn’t.”

Hanzo blinked and looked down at his tattoo. Of course, it would make sense that McCree didn’t know what a tattoo was, since he claimed to have stayed away from humans he would have never seen one before. “My arm wasn’t always blue, it’s a tattoo.” He explained. “It’s permanent now, I had it done on my birthday.”

“Huh.” Was all Jesse could think to say for a few moments. He wondered how human could do that, maybe it was magic? Irreversible magic. “It looks good.” He added. His eyes started to wander down the rest of the human’s figure. Jesse was used to seeing bare chests, having swam with other mermaids most of his life, but it felt almost foreign to see Hanzo’s, like a human chest was meant to stay hidden beneath the fabric, like a secret. A well-toned and very attractive secret.

“What are you doing now.” Hanzo questioned.

“Just thinkin’ ‘bout how pretty ya are.” Jesse replied, winking at the man and watching him become flustered.

“Do you always resort to flattery?” Hanzo asked.

“It’s not flattery if it’s true, darlin’ ” Jesse retorted.

Hanzo smiled and rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help but see Jesse as more of a friend than a pet. He was fairly certain Genji felt the same way. Not that either would dare tell their father such a thing. That would most likely result in him taking McCree away.

Hanzo could feel beads of sweat collecting on his back. He began fanning himself again.

“Y’know, if yer still hot, there’s always room in here.” Jesse commented. “The water’s nice ‘nd cool.”

“I’m not exactly dressed for _swimming_.” Hanzo retorted.

“You can dip yer feet in.” McCree replied.

 Hanzo paused a moment, deciding that he really didn’t have a reason not to. He took the time to carefully take off his boots and roll his pants up. When he climbed the ladder, McCree was waiting by the edge of the tank for him. He dipped his feet into the water, already feeling cooler.

McCree’s eyes were once again drawn to that tattoo. Now that Hanzo was closer, he could see that it wasn’t just color, it was a pattern. If he had to guess it was either a water or storm dragon. He’d heard about dragons, but he’d never actually seen one outside of carvings or sunken paintings.

Hanzo’s eyes were focused on McCree’s tail. As the mermaid floated by the top of the water, he could see the dorsal spines that were currently folded down. He also could see what looked like tearing on McCree’s tail fin. He wondered if that was caused by the humans who caught him, or if it was an older wound. When his gaze returned to McCree’s face, he could see the mermaid was again distracted by his tattoo. He extended his arm out to Jesse. “Would you like a closer look.”

Jesse blinked, turning his gaze to Hanzo. “Can I?” He asked, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.

“I would not have offered if I did not mean it.” Hanzo replied.

 Jesse nodded, and closed some of the distance between them. His hand ghosted over the dragon pattern that covered the man’s arm. It was strange. McCree felt like there was something more to it, something powerful yet beautiful, much like the man sitting before him, yet different at the same time. Part of him wanted to touch it, but another part of him restrained himself from doing so and was satisfied with merely observing it.

Hanzo could not help but smile as he watched the wonder and curiosity on McCree’s face. It truly was endearing. As McCree’s fingers ghosted over the tattoo, Hanzo could feel the dragons beginning to stir beneath the ink, seeming to judge the mermaid before them. Hanzo was quick to silence them.

After a moment, Jesse drew his hand away, turning his gaze to meet Hanzo’s. “Thanks fer letting me look at it.”

“Think nothing of it.” Hanzo replied, moving his arm back to rest on the rim of the tank. “I have a question for you.”

“I might have ‘n answer.” McCree replied, grinning up at Hanzo.

“Your tail, how did your fin get injured?” Hanzo asked. “Was it when you got captured?”

“Hmm? Oh that, no.” McCree replied. “I told ya that I ran with Barracuda merfolk a while back; I meant it when I said they were mean.”

“They tore your tail fin?” Hanzo questioned.

“They sure tried ta.” McCree commented. “It was when I first ran into them, after I held my own against them, their leader offered me a choice, join their school or die, _so I joined_.”

“They sound terrible.” Hanzo stated. “Did you ever try to escape.”

“Yeah, once, almost got away too.” McCree mused.

“What happened?” Hanzo questioned.

“I got tangled in something and captured by humans.” McCree replied.

Hanzo paused a moment. “I see.” He mumbled.

“Hey it’s not all bad.” McCree commented. “This is much better than being with those barracuda, besides, if I’d never been captured, I’d’ve never met you.”

“You are a very optimistic person.” Hanzo commented.

“My ma said there’s no use being sour over the past, ya just gotta move on and make the best of the now.” Jesse replied.

Hanzo smiled softly. “Your mother is wiser than most human’s I know.”

McCree grinned proudly. “I think she would’ve liked you if she ever got the chance ta meet ya.” He stated, gently bumping his tail against Hanzo’s legs. “ _Sweet_ _talker_.”

Hanzo felt the mermaid’s scales against his skin, they much smoother than he had expected them to be. He dipped his hand in the water and splashed some at McCree. “ _It’s not flattery if it’s true_.” He retorted.

\--

Hanzo stepped out of the dojo, having just finished his training for the night. The sun had already set, and he could see the moon clear in the sky. He was considering checking in on Genji, when he heard a faint sound, that sounded almost like singing.

Hanzo decided to follow the voice and see where it lead. Hanzo followed the sound until he found himself outside McCree’s door. He quietly opened it, to see the mermaid basked in moonlight resting his arms on the rim of the tank, singing some American song he didn’t recognize; it was probably something Genji had played for him. He knew what Genji meant now, Jesse’s voice was alluring, and he could understand the tales of sirens. His voice was deep, gruff, but in the best way. It was sultry and hard to resist.

Hanzo was not sure how long he had just been standing there listening to McCree sing until the mermaid had stopped, though he seemed to still be unaware of Hanzo’s presence.

“That was amazing.” Hanzo commented, looking up at the mermaid. He smirked softly as he watched McCree straighten up in surprise, a light shade of red dusting his cheeks.

“Didn’t see ya there.” McCree replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t wake ya did I?”

“No, I was already awake.” Hanzo stated. “You truly have an amazing voice.” He added, noting the way McCree’s blush darkened with the complement.

“Thank ya kindly.” McCree said, averting his gaze from Hanzo and looking instead at the moon through his window.

“Do you know any other songs?” Hanzo asked.

“Ya really want ta hear another?” Jesse questioned, turning his gaze back to Hanzo.

“Of course.” Hanzo replied. “You have a beautiful voice, I’d love to hear it again.”

“Well, I’d hate ta disappoint.” McCree replied, a grin returning to his face. “And I know a few more songs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Criticisms always welcome!
> 
> You can send me prompts or ideas for this fic at my tumblr mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> English translation:
> 
> I’d’ve – I would have


	4. Leg Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McCree discovers he can get legs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this late at night and there might be some errors in it that i'll fix later
> 
> the necklace:  
> https://cdn-img-2.wanelo.com/p/686/481/06a/4b75e45228ae3c3c4af9a01/x354-q80.jpg
> 
> also i made this drawing of mermaid mccree:  
> mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com/post/151910417079/mermaid-mccree-from-this-mchanzo-fic-x

~Do you know how long Father will be staying overseas? ~ Genji questioned.

~I believe he said he should be gone four days, but there was a possibility that business might delay him. ~ Hanzo replied.

~I’m surprised he didn’t make you go with him. ~ Genji commented.

~I was as well. ~ Hanzo stated. ~He said he did not want to force you to bear the duty of caring for McCree by yourself for so long. ’It is our responsibility to share.’ ~

~ _Yeah, that sounds about_ _right_. ~ Genji murmured. ~He still thinks McCree is just a pet and not a person. ~

~He probably always will. ~ Hanzo remarked.

~Brother, do you think today we could have our breakfast with McCree today? ~ Genji questioned.

~I suppose we could. ~ Hanzo mused. ~What did you have in mind? ~

~Well, McCree liked the sushi I made him before, so maybe we could all have the same breakfast today. ~ Genji replied. ~I was thinking steamed rice, miso soup, and grilled fish. It’ll be like a picnic. ~

~He might get sick. ~ Hanzo commented.

~I don’t think he’ll get sick, and we could give him sashimi instead of grilled fish. ~ Genji suggested. ~Does that sound better? ~

Hanzo paused for a moment, thinking it over then nodded. ~I think that will work. ~ He replied. They both began making their way to the kitchen to gather what they needed.

\--

Jesse blinked awake as the morning sun began peeking through his window. He briefly wondered if he should get up or try to catch a few more minutes of sleep. As the sunlight began to completely fill the room he decided to give up on sleeping and moved to stretch.

He'd gotten pretty used to swimming around his tank; he rarely ever bumped the glass now. Jesse decided to swim to the top of his tank, and look out his window. He could see some of the cherry blossoms that bloomed; sometimes they would get blown into his tank. Hanzo had explained that they were ‘synthetic’ and always blooming. He didn’t know how that worked, but they sure were pretty.

Jesse grinned as he heard a familiar ‘tap tap tap’ of boots coming towards his room. He slipped back into the water so he could swim closer to the ladder. When he surfaced he could see the door open and the two brothers step inside. “Good mornin’ ” He greeted.

“Good morning to you as well.” Hanzo replied, a small smile gracing his lips.

“We brought breakfast.” Genji stated, holding up his tray which had Jesse’s breakfast, and Hanzo had a tray with his and Genji’s. “We thought it’d be fun to all eat together today.” He added.

“Well I always enjoy yer company.” McCree stated.

Hanzo held both trays and Genji climbed the ladder. Once the younger Shimada had reached the top, Hanzo passed the trays up to him, and then climbed the ladder to join them. Hanzo and Genji sat opposite to the water, letting their feet hang against the glass. They kept their tray between them, and passed McCree his tray.

Jesse was slowly starting to adjust to eating human food along with his usual live or fresh food, and he still preferred live, but this stuff was alright, especially the company it brought with it. He’d never had soup before, but he figured out how to eat it by watching the two brothers. Human food was interesting. Most of it was seasoned which added flavors Jesse had never had before, and a lot of them were good, and some, like wasabi, were _evil_. But that was a small few.

They spent most of their meal in silence, merely enjoying each other’s presence. When they had finished eating, Genji was the first to speak. “Hey McCree, tomorrow’s a full moon, and I read that on the night of a full moon, mermaids can grow legs! Is that true?” Genji questioned.

“I believe you are confusing mermaids with werewolves, Brother.” Hanzo commented, smirking as he felt his brother’s glare.

“Well, I mean I’m pretty sure I could grow legs any time, not just on a full moon. I just need ta be dry.” McCree replied. “I’ve never done it before, so I don’t actually know how or if it even works. No one in my school had ever tried it either.”

“Really?! That’s so cool!” Genji exclaimed. “But why hasn’t anyone tried it?”

“Well, mostly cause we swam ‘n the deeper waters away from shore. It wasn’t the most convenient thing ta do. And it was kinda an unspoken rule that merfolks should avoid humans. Which is easier ta do from the water than with legs on the shore.”

“That does make sense.” Hanzo murmured.

“ ‘Sides, every merfolk stays in the water on a full moon.” McCree added.

“Why? Is it a rule?” Genji asked.

“Naw, we just have a celebration for the moon.” McCree explained. “There’s a lot of singing ‘nd swimming together. Something ‘bout a full moon just makes ya feel like ya need ta swim.”

“It might have something to do with the way the moon pulls the water towards itself, and it’s stronger on a full moon.” Hanzo theorized.

Jesse smiled and shrugged. “Maybe that ‘nd the fact that it’s sorta become a tradition in every school.”

“What I’m hearing is tomorrow night we should go swimming with McCree.” Genji commented, partially just trying to get a rise out of Hanzo.

Hanzo turned to face Jesse. “Would you want us to?” He asked.

“Y’know I always enjoy yer company.” Jesse replied. “Ya don’t have ta if ya don’t want ta, but it’d be nice.”

“Then we will.” Hanzo stated. _“Right, Genji?”_

“Um, yeah, of course!” Genji replied, grinning at McCree.

After a moment Genji checked his phone. _~Shit._ ~ He murmured under his breath. “I’m late for training. I’ll see you two later.” He stated. “Oh, and McCree, we should try and see if you really can get legs later.” He added before running out of the room.

\--

“You don’t have training too?” McCree questioned.

“Today is my day off, it would have been Genji’s too, but he skipped a few classes that he now needs to make them up.” Hanzo explained.

Jesse nodded. “You got any plans fer yer day off?” He asked.

“Some.” Hanzo replied, taking a small box wrapped in ribbon out of his pocket. “First, I wanted to give you this.” He stated.

Jesse took the box and carefully tugged at the ribbons, opening it to find a necklace made of aquamarine. “This is fer me?” He questioned, gently taking it out of the box so he could get a closer look.

“Yes, when I was out shopping I saw it and thought of you.” Hanzo admitted, his cheeks flushing a light pink. “Do you like it?”

“I love it, darlin’ ” Jesse replied, grinning as he turned his gaze from the necklace to Hanzo. “Could ya help me put it on?”

Hanzo smiled softly and took the necklace from Jesse. The mermaid turned around so Hanzo could put the necklace on him more easily.

When McCree heard the golden chain click into place, he adjusted the necklace so the aquamarine was centered. He then turned to face Hanzo, and closed the space between them. Jesse focused his powers to dry of his hands, steam rising off of his skin so he could touch the man without getting him wet. McCree cupped Hanzo’s cheek as he leaned into the kiss.

Hanzo rested one hand on Jesse’s shoulder. Jesse’s kisses were always sweet and caring. Hanzo found that they were hard to resist. He used his other hand to run his finger though McCree’s damp hair.  After a moment he pulled back to catch his breath, eyes fluttering open to meet Jesse’s gaze. “How is it you are never out of breath?” He questioned.

McCree blushed lightly and shrugged innocently. “I dunno, maybe I can just hold my breath longer than you?” He suggested.

Hanzo smiled and pecked Jesse’s forehead. “Perhaps.” Hanzo mused.

“So, whaddaya think about me gettin’ legs?” Jesse asked.

Hanzo paused a moment. “I’m not against the idea, but I believe I’ve grown fond of your tail.” He replied.

Jesse grinned and pecked Hanzo’s lips. “Well I’m glad ya like it so much.” He stated, moving to nuzzle Hanzo’s neck and place a few gentle kisses there.

Hanzo chuckled, and let his hands travel down Jesse’s back. “Jesse, what I want to know is, do you actually want legs?” Hanzo questioned. “You don’t need to try this if you don’t want to.”

Jesse paused a moment, thinking it over. “I think I’ll try anything at least once.” He replied, meeting Hanzo’s gaze. “ ‘Sides, it might be fun. I’ve never really seen what’s on land.”

“If we get the chance, I’d like to show you.” Hanzo stated, moving his hand to caress Jesse’s cheek.

“I think I’d like that.” Jesse agreed, closing the space between them.

\--

The kiss was broken when they both felt a flash against their eyes, turning to see Genji with his phone out.

~Why are you like this? ~ Hanzo muttered, letting out a small sigh.

~I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that, Brother. ~ Genji replied, making the picture his background. He’d gotten it so you couldn’t see McCree’s tail; it just what looked like Hanzo kissing a half-naked man.

“McCree are you ready to see if you can get legs?” Genji questioned.

“Yeah, but uh, I’m not really sure how this is going ta work.” McCree replied. “I mean, in theory I’d beach myself on the shore, but I can’t really do that here.”

Genji paused for a moment, thinking it over. “Do you think that you could use your hydrokinesis to put yourself in a bubble of water, move it out of the tank and onto the floor, and then put the water back in the tank?” He suggested.

“That sounds complicated and prone to failure.” Hanzo commented.

“Do you have a better plan?” Genji retorted.

“No.” Hanzo acknowledged.

“I’m gonna give it a try.” McCree stated.

“Just be careful.” Hanzo added.

“I will, promise.” Jesse replied.

It took a lot of concertation, but Jesse managed to get himself on the floor and the water back in the tank. His skin and scales were still damp, so he focused on drying them, filling the room with steam.

When he was completely dry, his tail felt strange, or rather his tail wasn’t there anymore. He wiggled his toes and bent his knees. “I think it worked.” He murmured.

“This is so cool!” Genji commented, part of him still couldn’t believe that this worked.

Hanzo felt his cheeks heat up when he realized that Jesse was now _very naked_. Something that he’d initially overlooked, but now couldn’t help but notice. ~Genji, could you please find McCree something to wear, and make sure there are no guards posted inside the castle. We are going to need to keep them on the perimeter if we want to keep McCree unseen. ~ Hanzo stated.

~On it. ~ Genji replied. ~You help McCree up, see if he can walk. ~ He added before leaving through the window.

“Do you want to try standing?” Hanzo asked, extending his hand to help Jesse up.

McCree nodded, taking Hanzo’s hand. As he was pulled to his feet, he could feel himself off balanced. He tried to take a step and stumbled, only to be caught by Hanzo. Jesse hadn’t noticed how strong the man was until he felt those arms wrap around him, easily keeping him steady. McCree held onto Hanzo’s shoulders for support, and smiled sheepishly up at Hanzo. “Thanks.” He mumbled, a light blush creeping up his skin, almost impossible to see with his tan, but Hanzo was more observant than most.

Hanzo smiled fondly. “Take your time to find your balance. When you feel comfortable, we can try walking.” Hanzo suggested, taking a moment to note that Jesse was much taller than him.

McCree nodded. “Alright.” He replied, carefully moving to stand up straight, keeping his grip on Hanzo’s shoulders, and he could still feel Hanzo’s grip around his hips. After a minute he was starting to feel like he was finding his balance. “I think I wanna try walkin’ ” McCree stated.

“Alright, just put one foot in front of the other.” Hanzo explained. “Don’t rush, just go at your own pace. I’ll be right here.”

McCree nodded and slowly started moving his feet. Hanzo walked backwards, matching McCree’s pace, and holding him whenever he started to stumble. With practice, McCree was starting to improve.

By the time Genji returned with a green yukata, Jesse was slowly starting to walk on his own, with Hanzo supervising him, ready to step in if McCree needed it.

Genji whistled. “You’re already walking, that’s great!” He exclaimed. “I brought you one of my yukata’s, though it might be a little small on you.” He added, handing the cloth to McCree.

“Thank ya kindly.” McCree said, accepting the clothing. “How do I put it on?” He questioned.

“Hanzo will show you.” Genji replied. ~We’ll have to take McCree clothes shopping. ~ He commented.

~Genji he can barely walk on his own. ~ Hanzo remarked.

~I didn’t say we had to do it _right now_. It’s just something we’re going to need to do once McCree gets better at walking. ~ Genji retorted. ~And I’ve made sure that no guards will enter the castle grounds. ~

~Thank you. ~ Hanzo replied. He walked over to McCree and helped him into the fabric. ~Did you not get him anything to wear underneath his yukata? ~ Hanzo questioned as he tied McCree into it.

~I honestly didn’t even think about it. ~ Genji remarked. ~I’ll get him something tomorrow when I go into town. ~

~Alright, but please don’t forget. ~ Hanzo stated. “McCree, do you want to go for a walk? I can show you around the castle grounds.”

McCree grinned. “Yeah, I’d like that.” He replied. Jesse let his fingers play with the cloth around his arm. It was so smooth and soft, he really liked the feeling of it.

“I’ll leave you two alone, I think I still need to catch up on my meditations.” Genji stated, before making his leave. He hoped that those two would have more fun without a third wheel.

\--

Hanzo held Jesse’s hand and slowly lead him out of his room and towards the cherry blossoms. “We should not linger out here for too long, but I thought you might enjoy this.” Hanzo stated.

McCree looked around in wonder. There was a lot more on land than he’d thought. The trees were beautiful, and the petals danced in the wind. There were small birds flying around, and wood felt so solid under his feet, nothing like the sand he was used to. “It’s amazing.” McCree commented, turning his gaze to Hanzo.

“Let me show you around the inside now.” Hanzo suggested.

McCree nodded eagerly and followed Hanzo around as he showed him the interior of the palace, ending the tour in his own room.

Hanzo’s room was reasonably sized and consisted of a large futon, his closet, a connected bathroom with a bath and shower, and a handful of decorations that were mostly practical. His storm bow and quiver were hung on the wall, and his sword was sheathed and displayed on his desk, putting it easily in his reach should he need it.

“Wait here, I’m going to get us something to eat.” Hanzo stated. He waited for McCree to nod before heading over to the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a bowl of green tea mochi. “This will be very cold when you bite it.” Hanzo warned, passing one to Jesse.

McCree nodded and took his first, small bite. It was cold, and the texture was chewy and creamy at the same time. It wasn’t bad, he actually really liked it.

Hanzo sat down on the futon, setting the bowl down beside him. He patted the spot next to him, encouraging Jesse to join him, which the mermaid soon did.

It didn’t take them long before all of their treats were gone. Hanzo leaned in and started peppering Jesse face with little kisses.

McCree chuckled and moved to wrap his arms around Hanzo’s waist, which he normally couldn’t do without risking accidently pulling Hanzo into the water.

Hanzo soon captured Jesse’s lips in a sweet kiss, moving to straddle Jesse and wrap his arm around the mermaid’s neck. He traced a few kisses along Jesse’s jawline before moving down to his neck, gently nipping and sucking the skin. Hanzo moved back up and pressed another kiss to Jesse’s lips. He let his tongue trace Jesse’s lower lip, letting it slip in as the mermaid’s lips parted. The kiss was slow, cautious, and tasted like mochi. Hanzo did not want to rush Jesse into something he was not comfortable with, so he kept the kisses slow and sweet.

McCree let his hands slip down to Hanzo’s hips, holding him there as he leaned into the kiss. He’d decided that there were a lot of benefits to having legs, or at least not being stuck in a tank. This, was definitely one of them.

When he felt Hanzo pull back, he opened his eyes to one of the prettiest things he’d ever seen. Hanzo was breathless and panting lightly, his lips were kiss swollen, and his cheeks were dusted pink. His usually perfect hair was also beginning to look disheveled, and his own yukata had loosened, revealing most of his chest. “Wow, yer pretty.” Jesse mumbled.

Hanzo smirked and ran his fingers through Jesse’s hair. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Hanzo replied, looking at the marks that he left on Jesse’s skin, along with the mermaid’s own swollen lips and messy hair. “Jesse, if you would like, you can stay here with me tonight.” Hanzo offered. “Though if you would prefer to go back to your own room I would understand.”

“Darlin,’ there ain’t nothing I would rather do than stay here with you.” McCree replied, gently pressing a kiss to the man’s forehead.

Hanzo smiled and gently pulled Jesse down on the futon with him, wrapping his arms around the mermaid.

Jesse followed suit, wrapping his arms around the smaller man and cuddling up to him. Hanzo pulled the covers over them and snapped his fingers to turn off the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Criticisms always welcome!
> 
> Send me prompts or ideas for this fic at my tumblr: mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com  
> |∀･)ジ My ask is open or you can send me a message


	5. Moonlight Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji takes McCree clothes shopping, and later when the sun sets and the moon rises, Genji, Hanzo, and McCree take a swim under the full moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't beta read 
> 
> I wrote this late and I haven't had time to thoroughly proof read it so there might be some errors in it that i'll fix later
> 
> I'm still posting this because I haven't updated this in a while because of school and work

For once, Genji had woken up on time for his and Hanzo’s morning training; however, Hanzo hadn’t shown up yet, and he was never late to _anything._ Genji waited a few more minutes in the dojo before leaving to go search for his brother. When he checked Hanzo’s room, he noticed his brother was not alone. He could see a familiar head of brown locks next to Hanzo’s. ~Holy shit they fucked ~ Genji mumbled to himself in disbelief.

When he got closer, he was disappointed to see that they both still had their clothes on. Still, it was rare to see Hanzo so… _peaceful_. He and McCree were cuddled up together, honestly it was sickeningly sweet to look at. He smirked when he noticed the hickeys trailing down Jesse’s neck. Genji decided to snap a few pictures, since it never hurt to have too much leverage over one’s sibling. He then quietly made his exit, returning with a water pistol. Revenge on the last time Hanzo woke him up with a bucket of water because he overslept during an ‘ _important meeting’_ that he was supposed to attend.

Genji aimed and fired, hitting Hanzo square in the face, and hitting McCree with some splash damage. Both men woke up, leaving a confused McCree and a very angry Hanzo. ~Genji you little shit! ~ Hanzo growled.

~Language brother! ~ Genji replied, laughing his ass off.

While Hanzo was seriously considering murdering his brother, Jesse rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up. He wiped some of the water off his face, he could feel something happening, and realized after a few seconds that he was getting his tail back. The transformation wasn’t as fast as he thought it was going to be, and it took a minute before his tail actually came back; he was still wearing the yukata. “Well this’s mighty inconvenient.” McCree commented, drawing the attention of both brother’s.

~ _Whoops_ … ~ Genji mumbled. “Sorry Jesse.” He added. Hanzo merely had his head in his hands, muttering something that sounded like _‘~it’s far too early for this~’_  

“I’ll go get some towels.” Genji stated, before running off.

Jesse turned to look at Hanzo. “Good mornin’ ” He greeted, voice still heavy with sleep.

Hanzo grinned, turning to face Jesse. “Good morning _._ ” He replied.

“This how ya normally get up?” McCree questioned.

“ _Certainly not_.” Hanzo stated.

 Jesse chuckled and leaned in to peck Hanzo’s cheek. “Well it sure was an eventful way ta wake up.” McCree mused.

“Are you always so positive?” Hanzo asked.

“I’d like ta think so, yes.” Jesse replied. “Sides it wasn’t so bad.”

“ _It wasn’t?_ ” Hanzo questioned

“I got ta see yer pretty face when I woke up.” McCree replied.

The sincerity in his voice made Hanzo’s cheeks flush. He wasn’t sure how Jesse could say things like that so honestly. Hanzo closed the distance between them, pressing his lips against McCree’s. He felt Jesse wrap his arms around Hanzo’s waist, tugging him closer so Hanzo was on top of him, straddling his lap. Hanzo wasn’t sure what it was about Jesse, but the man made him feel like it was alright to act so foolishly.

“ _Am I interrupting something?_ ” Genji questioned, grinning as he watched his brother’s ears turn red. He tossed two towels over to them. ~ _I’ll just let you two continue. Stay safe, use a condom!_ ~ Genji teased, ducking out of the way of the pillow Hanzo threw at him before making his exit.

Hanzo buried his face in the crook of Jesse’s neck. Jesse rubbed his back soothingly and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Coulda been worse.” Jesse mused.

“How?” Hanzo questioned.

“He could’ve stayed.” McCree replied.

Hanzo smiled against Jesse’s skin and rolled his eyes. “You are such an optimist.” He muttered.

“Guilty as charged.” Jesse retorted.

Hanzo soon moved off of Jesse and grabbed the two towels, drying McCree’s tail off. “So now we know that direct contact with water gives you your tail back.”

“Takes ‘bout a minute, but yeah.” Jesse replied. “Good thing ta know while I have legs.”

“I wonder if other liquids will turn you back, or if it’s just pure water.” Hanzo pondered, thinking out loud for a moment.

“Maybe we should test it, but let’s do that another time, I believe we were ‘n the middle of somethin’ before we was interrupted.” Jesse commented, tugging Hanzo into his lap and capturing his lips in a kiss.

\--

An hour or so later, Genji watched as Hanzo and McCree strolled back into Jesse’s room, hand in hand. Genji hopped down from his perch, startling Jesse and not seeming to faze Hanzo at all. “Yo!” He greeted. “ _Have fun_?” He asked, waggling his eyebrows. Hanzo scoffed in disgust, cheeks flushing pink.

“Hope we didn’t keep ya waitin’ too long.” Jesse remarked, rubbing the back of his neck. They’d really lost track of time.

“It’s fine.” Genji replied. “I did my meditation for today while you two were _busy_.”

~ _Stop_. ~ Hanzo pleaded.

~Fine. ~ Genji replied. “McCree, I think you and I should go clothes shopping today.” He suggested.

“Shouldn’t Hanzo come too?” Jesse questioned.

“Well, it’s normal for me to leave, and I know how to sneak people in and out of the castle, but would be strange for Hanzo to leave the grounds, especially with Father gone.” Genji explained. “One of us needs to stay, and it makes more sense for it to be Hanzo.”

“Wow, I think that’s the first time I ever heard you use reason.” Hanzo commented.

Genji chose to do the mature thing and stuck his tongue out at Hanzo. “ _Anyway_ , we should get going McCree.” He remarked, taking Jesse’s hand and leading out the back way of the palace.

The first thing that Genji got were boxers/boxer briefs for McCree, since he was going to need them in order to try anything else on. The next store Genji took Jesse to sold mostly yukatas and other traditional clothing. He figured it would be better to get McCree something that wouldn’t be ruined if he got his tail back while wearing them. Though he still planned on getting Jesse at least a few pairs of sinfully tight jeans because he wanted to see how badly he could rile his brother up.

While they were shopping, Genji started to learn a few more things about Jesse. One thing he learned about McCree was that he really liked reds and oranges; almost all of the yukatas he picked out where one of the two. While McCree tried them on, Genji waited outside the changing room, texting Hanzo updates so he wouldn’t freak out.

McCree stepped out a moment later, noticing Genji was distracted by some little box. “What is that little thing?” He asked.

“What?” Genji questioned, looking back up at McCree, taking a moment to realize what he was talking about. “OH, you mean my phone!” Genji exclaimed, then remembered they were in public and that he should lower his voice. “It lets me talk to Hanzo.” He briefly explained.

“ _Really_? Or are ya just pullin’ my tail?” McCree replied.

“I promise I’m telling you the truth.” Genji swore. “We’ll get you a phone too, once we’re done clothes shopping.” He added. Genji also realized that Jesse having no idea what a phone was, wouldn’t know about its camera meaning he could take candid pictures of him and send them to Hanzo along with his updates.

The next clothing store they went to, Jesse picked out a few plaid shirts, typical American. Genji picked out a handful of skinny jeans for McCree to try on. The next update he sent Hanzo included a few pictures of McCree trying on his new outfits, he received no reply from Hanzo, laughing to himself as he could picture a blushing Hanzo not knowing how to reply without hurting his pride.

As they were walking, Genji noticed a crepe stand, and ordered himself and McCree two strawberry crepes. They sat down on a nearby park bench to eat.

“So you and Hanzo looked like you were having fun this morning.” Genji commented.

“We were.” McCree confirmed.

“So how far did you two actually go?” Genji asked. “You were in there for like an hour.”

“I don’t really know what that means, but we were just kissing.” Jesse replied.

“ _Seriously_!” Genji exclaimed. Of course Hanzo would turn out to be the type who wanted to take things slow, he was so boring. “All you did was kiss and cuddle?”

“Pretty much.” McCree stated.

Genji paused for a moment, having a bit of an epiphany. He turned to face McCree. “How much do you know about human relationships?” He asked. Sometimes he forgot that he and Hanzo were the first humans McCree really got to know, meaning that Hanzo was probably going slow because Jesse’s never been with a human before. Hanzo could be considerate, when he didn’t have the elders ‘ _guiding him’_ and making him act like he had a stick up his ass.

“I don’t know anything other than that Hanzo said you kiss someone you care about.” Jesse replied.

“That sounds about right.” Genji replied. Hanzo always keeping things PG. “Ok, when we get back, I’m going to tell you about ‘the birds and the bees’ before we go see Hanzo.” Genji planned on explaining that to McCree in great detail, because honestly it was probably better that he know more than not enough. He also wouldn’t leave out that with some people, they prefer to go slowly rather than fast. As much fun as it would be for Hanzo to get laid, he also didn’t want to screw this up for them. Especially since he thought they were really good for each other. Hanzo was so stressed before McCree was here, and since their father said they need to care for him, that meant less time with the elders for Hanzo.

Genji quickly finished his treat, and turned to see McCree, who had managed to get cream all over his face. At least he didn’t get a tail. Genji snapped a picture, sending it to Hanzo and then got a few napkins, helping Jesse clean his face.

When they both finished, Genji took McCree to an electronic store to get him a waterproof phone with a solar battery, promising to teach him how to use it later tonight, but they would need to let it charge first. With that done, Genji texted Hanzo, letting him know they were on their way back.

As they were heading back to the palace, Genji noticed McCree eyeing something in one of the local costume/party stores. “Do you want to take a look inside.” Genji asked. McCree nodded eagerly. Genji chuckled as he followed the excited mermaid in. He nearly died when he saw what had caught Jesse’s eye, a cowboy hat of all things. 

“Can I get it?” Jesse questioned.

“Sure.” Genji replied. “But if Hanzo asks, it wasn’t my idea.”

\--

When Genji had texted Hanzo that he and Jesse were on their way back, Hanzo starting preparing their dinner. He remembered Genji mentioning that McCree liked sushi, and he was fairly certain that he heard McCree refer to wasabi as ‘ _evil’_ at least twice. So with that in mind, he began making each of them a bento and started brewing tea. He remembered Genji saying something about wanting to have a picnic when he was younger, and though it was a little late, Hanzo decided to bring a blanket along with him. When Hanzo had everything he needed, he carried everything into McCree’s room. It was already starting to get dark. It wouldn’t be too long before the full moon was out.

Minutes after he finished setting everything up, Genji and Jesse arrived, both carrying multiple shopping bags. His gaze narrowed in on one detail in particular. McCree was wearing a cowboy hat. Hanzo turned his gaze to Genji. ~Why? ~ He questioned.

~Because McCree saw it in a shop window and I couldn’t say no. ~ Genji replied. “What’s all this?”

“I thought we should all eat together,” Hanzo stated. “Like a picnic.”

Genji’s face lit up. “We’re seriously having a picnic?!” He questioned.

“Yes, that was the plan.” Hanzo remarked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I made bento boxes for each of us.”

Genji and Jesse set there bags down and took a seat on the blanket Hanzo had spread out. Hanzo handed them each a bento box. Genji had expected his to be super healthy, since Hanzo was always telling him to ‘eat healthier and train more’ and was honestly surprised to see that Hanzo had made all of his favorite sushi and two strawberry mochi. He didn’t know Hanzo knew what his favorite foods were; Genji never thought Hanzo paid that much attention, though he was very happy to be proven wrong.

McCree’s bento was filled with sushi and sashimi from fish that Hanzo had imported from the Gulf of Mexico and some whole shrimp that were still somewhat alive. “This looks great, thanks darlin’!” Jesse said before he happily began to dig into his meal.

Genji hesitated. ~This isn’t pranked is it? ~ He questioned. ~Like I’m not going to eat one and have it be filled with wasabi? ~ 

~ _No._ It’s completely safe. ~ Hanzo replied, somewhat offended that Genji would suspect him of something so childish.

~Hey, I don’t know if you’re still mad about this morning or not. Revenge its totally possible. ~ Genji defended.

~I can’t say that I _appreciated_ what you did this morning, but I wouldn’t sabotage your food. ~ Hanzo remarked. ~Besides, I think it was nice of you to take Jesse shopping today, so consider it my thanks for that. ~

~And thank you for this meal, Brother. ~ Genji replied before filling trying his bento. “Have you been practicing? Cause this is better than what our chefs make.” Genji commented.

Hanzo’s cheeks flushed at the praise and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve had more free time recently.” He replied.

The rest of their meal was met with relative silence. The three enjoying both their meals and each other’s company. When they finished, Genji helped Hanzo tidy up.

“This was great.” Genji remarked. “All that’s missing was a picnic basket.”

“I couldn’t find a picnic basket.” Hanzo replied offhandedly.

Genji hid his smirk from Hanzo. He honestly hadn’t expected his brother to bother looking for a basket, let alone sound a bit disappointed that he couldn’t find one.

\--

Jesse was watching the sky. The sun was setting full moon would be out soon. McCree was itching to get back in the water. The brothers seemed to pick up on this.

“Jesse, why don’t you dive in first.” Hanzo suggested. “Genji and I will change into our swimsuits and join you in a moment.”

“Sounds good!” McCree replied, before turning to go climb up the ladder to the tank.

Hanzo had brought his and Genji’s swimsuits, and tossed Genji’s over to him. After they changed, Hanzo folded his yukata up and set it to the side, whereas Genji just tossed his crumpled-up Yukata to the side and scaled the side of the tank rather than using the ladder and jumping in, causing a big splash.  Hanzo followed suit, scaling the side of the tank, simply for practice, but eased his way into the water rather than jumping in.

Genji swam around the tank, regretting that he didn’t remember to grab his water pistol, or any of his other water guns for that matter. Hanzo was holding onto the tank with one arm, making it easier for him to stay above water. Jesse swam up to Hanzo, and closed the difference between them, kissing his lips. He pulled back after a moment.

“Enjoyin’ the water?” McCree asked.

“It is pleasant.” Hanzo replied.

“Well I’m glad ya like it.” Jesse remarked. “It’s nice to have someone else ta swim with.”

“Perhaps we could do something like this again.” Hanzo suggested.

“I’d like that.” McCree stated.

Genji quietly made his way over to Hanzo and McCree, and when he was in position, he made the biggest wave he could to splash them both. His cackle was cut off by him diving underwater to escape Hanzo’s retaliation. As soon as he resurfaced a splash fight broke out among the three of them.

When peace was made between the three of them, they began to chat amongst each other. McCree and Genji exchanged tales of their misadventures. Hanzo even told a few tales of his own, though they weren’t nearly as eccentric as the other two’s.

“You seriously punched a shark?!” Genji questioned.

“Yep.” Jesse replied. “It was either that or risk losing my arm, and I like having both hands.”

“You really shouldn’t have been around a shipwreck in the first place.” Hanzo commented.

“That’s _exactly_ what my ma said when I told her.” McCree remarked, not meaning it in a malicious way, but Genji was still struggling not to laugh as he watched Hanzo’s cheeks turn pink.

The moon was now high in the sky, and the moonlight shone through the windows and into the tank. The brother’s notices that Jesse’s scales seemed to shine more so than usual in the light.

“Is it normal for your tail to glow like that?” Genji questioned.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, that just happens on a full moon.” Jesse replied. “Don’t know why, but all mermaid tails glow under the light of a full moon.”

“You don’t know why it happens?” Hanzo asked.

“Well, I think it’s supposed to be a sign of stronger magic.” McCree guessed. “ _But_ it might be unrelated. My ma said that all mermaids ‘re stronger under the full moon, but she didn’t say that its why our tails get all shiny.”

“Your powers are affected by the moonlight.” Genji questioned.

“Yep, the moonlight makes our magic stronger, ‘specially on a full moon.” Jesse answered. “No one knows why, we just know that it happens.”

“Cool.” Genji commented.

\--

“Well, I think I’m going to go to bed.” Genji stated, swimming towards the ladder. “Don’t stay up too late. We have a day of training to make up for tomorrow.” He added. Genji figured that Hanzo and Jesse could use some time alone. They were never going to get anywhere if they didn’t figure out what the other wanted out of their relationship, and if that happened to include sex, that would be a plus for his ultimate wingman status; however, he also knew that they would have to figure out their boundaries before anything happened. 

“I don’t know why but it’s unsettling to see him act responsibly.” Hanzo commented. “I can’t help but think he has ulterior motives but I have no idea what they would be.”

“I don’t think he means any harm.” Jesse replied, pecking Hanzo’s cheek.

“Not meaning harm does not mean he isn’t up to something.” Hanzo retorted, knowing that sometimes Genji will make schemes but still means well.

“If he ain’t harmin’ no one is it really that big a deal?” McCree questioned.

“No, I suppose it isn’t.” Hanzo relented. He wrapped his arms around the mermaid’s neck and pecked Jesse’s lips. “So how was your day today. You seem to have gotten a lot of shopping done.”

“We did!” McCree stated. “I got lots a new clothes, and Genji got me a phone, but he didn’t actually show me how ta use the thing yet.”

“I can show you tomorrow morning.” Hanzo offered. “If you would like.”

“That sounds good ta me!” Jesse replied. “Thanks darlin’ ”

“It is nothing.” Hanzo replied. “You and Genji spent a lot of time together, did you talk at all?”

“We did.” McCree confirmed. “Uh, he actually told me ‘bout the ‘birds ‘nd the bees’ ” He added, looking up at the moon and feeling his cheeks heat up.

“ _He did not_.” Hanzo’s own face began to flush. “Look, I’m sorry, don’t feel like you need to do anything like that.” Hanzo stated.

“That’s what Genji said when he told me.” McCree commented. “ ‘nd I mean, I suppose I’m open to tryin’ new things, but I’d like to take this slowly. I really like you Han, I don’t want to mess this up.”

“At this point, I’m not sure there is anything you could do to ‘mess this up’” Hanzo replied, ears burning red. “I care too much about you to let something come between us.”

Jesse honestly didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything, choosing instead to close the distance between them. The kiss was slow, passionate. All of his feelings conveyed through action rather than words. When they pulled apart, Jesse realized what he wanted to tell Hanzo.

Jesse tilted Hanzo’s chin up to meet his gaze. “I love you.” He stated.

“I love you too.” Hanzo replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crepes:  
> http://www.kawaiikakkoiisugoi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Screen-Shot-2012-04-27-at-3.09.22-PM.png
> 
> Genji’s swimsuit:  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c9/f3/1a/c9f31a228524ca335fcba564a7460099.jpg
> 
> Hanzo’s swimsuit: http://g03.a.alicdn.com/kf/UT8hdCKXd0cXXagOFbXQ/205077038/UT8hdCKXd0cXXagOFbXQ.jpg
> 
> Idiom:  
> itch for something: a desire for something.
> 
> Send me prompts/asks at my tumblr mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Comments and Criticisms always welcome!


	6. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Genji talk about the future, and Jesse braids Hanzo's hair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't beta read
> 
> I haven't thoroughly proof read this so there might be some errors in it that i'll fix later
> 
> Also, shout out to ecchima for making this awesome fan art!!!
> 
> http://mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com/post/153648603984/%E3%82%B8-love-your-fic

“Ok, so _this_ is your contact list. ” Hanzo explained, pointing to the icon at the bottom of the screen. “I’ve already put mine and Genji’s numbers in here so you’ll be able to contact us at any time.” He added.

“Well slice me up and call me sushi, I can really talk ta ya through that lil thing?” McCree asked.

Hanzo didn’t bother to question that first part. “Yes, you can call us if you wish to speak with us verbally, which you can do by hitting _this_ , or text us by going to messaging, which is _this_ and then typing out what you want to say.”

“Nifty.” Jesse commented. “Why would people text when they could call?”

“Sometimes it is easier to text if you only have something short to say, or if the other person is busy and cannot immediately answer the call.” Hanzo stated.

“Ah, that makes sense.” McCree remarked. “And I just gotta keep it in the sun ta keep it workin’?”

“Yes.” Hanzo replied. “As long as you let it soak up sunlight, the battery will stay charged.”

“So, what’s this thingy here for?” McCree questioned, pointing to the camera lense on the back of his phone.

“Oh, that’s a camera. You can access it by going _here._ ” Hanzo explained, opening the camera app. “You can use this to capture the image of something that you want to see again. All you need to do is press _this_ button. You can also change perspective by switching to the front camera with _this._ ” Hanzo added, pointing to each feature.

Jesse seemed to be processing the information, holding up his phone and turning to face Hanzo. He was about to ask Jesse if he needed help with it when a bright flash pulled him out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times before looking up at Jesse, who was grinning like a child in a candy store.

“It worked!” McCree exclaimed cheerfully.

“What exactly were you trying to achieve with that?” Hanzo questioned, moving over to Jesse and looking at his phone. The picture wasn’t the most flattering, but it wasn’t terrible either.

“Well, ya said a picture was for something that ya wanted ta see again, and I always want ta see yer face. ‘nd now I can!” Jesse replied honestly.

The sincerity in his voice made Hanzo’s cheeks flush. “Well, next time, turn the flash off like this.” Hanzo said, tapping the screen to change the camera’s settings. “You only need that if it’s dark.”

“I think I’m gettin’ the hang of this.” Jesse commented, snapping another picture of Hanzo.

“Yo!” Genji greeted, sitting up in the window of Jesse’s room. “Hanzo, you have five more minutes before our training starts.” He added.

~ _Shit._ ~ Hanzo muttered under his breath. He wasn’t sure how he was the one forgetting to go to training while Genji reminded him to go. Perhaps hell had frozen over. Regardless, he needed to be stricter with himself, and ensure that he didn’t lose track of time when he was with Jesse. ~I’ll be there in a moment. ~ He stated.

Genji nodded and made his exit, heading over to the dojo.

“I have to go, but I will return when I can.” Hanzo explained.

“I can’t go with you?” Jesse asked.

“While I greatly enjoy your company, I believe having you there would distract me.” Hanzo replied, noticing the disappointment that spread across Jesse’s face. “I’m sorry. When my mind is less clouded, you can join us for our training, just not today.” He added, leaning up to press a chaste kiss to Jesse’s lips, before climbing down the ladder and making his way to the dojo.

Jesse perked up at that; it was something to look forward to.

\--

Hanzo found Genji waiting in the dojo when he arrived, bokken out and twirling it around playfully. Genji stopped his movements when he noticed his brother’s presence, and tossed the second bokken over to Hanzo.

~Ready? ~ Genji questioned, slipping into his fighting stance. His question was answered when Hanzo simply moved to strike first. A blow easily blocked by Genji. Their daily spares made it easy to predict the other’s moves. Always making them think on their feet to try and outwit the other.

While they spared, Genji noticed something was off with Hanzo today. His movements were slower than usual, and he seemed to be doubting his judgement, making it easy for Genji to find openings. It was over in a matter of minutes, and Genji came out victorious, but he couldn’t help but think something was wrong. ~You seem distracted lately. ~ He commented. ~Is everything alright? ~

~ _Yes? No?_ I am not sure. ~ Hanzo admitted.

~Do you want to talk about it? ~ Genji asked. ~I promise I won’t tease you about any of it. ~ He added, half expecting Hanzo to just blow him off and continue their practice, but was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

~It is… a lot. ~ Hanzo replied. ~Do you truly wish to listen? ~

Genji nodded. ~I do. ~ He stated, sitting down on the wooden floor and encouraging Hanzo to do the same.

The elders taught him that he needed to be ruthless to his enemies, not to show weakness, and to always be strict with himself. But recently, something had occurred to Hanzo, something that he’d never questioned before. What if the elders were wrong? He’d always done as they said without fail, but now, he had reason to doubt them. Now that he had was with Genji, he could see that there was more to life than just that. Genji was strong, smart, and clever, but he had his own balance between strictness and carefree, a balance that he lived by. And Hanzo had never felt happier than when he allowed himself to do the same. When he allowed himself moments of weakness with Jesse, and he didn’t regret them. Hanzo also knew that if the elders found out about his relationship with McCree, they would try to convince father to send him away. These thoughts had been weighing heavily on him lately.

~I am starting to think that the elders are wrong. ~ Hanzo admitted. ~I don’t believe I can trust their judgement. ~

~ _Not that I’m disagreeing with you_ , but why do you think that? ~ Genji questioned

~Because they were wrong about you. ~ Hanzo stated, matter-of-factly, which seemed to take Genji by surprise. ~The elders say you are weak for your aloofness, but you aren’t weak at all. You may slack in your chores every now and again, but you are always make time to train. You choose what you do and how you are going to do it. You are a strong warrior with a free spirit. I envy that sometimes. ~

~ _You_ envy _me_? But you’re the stronger one of us! You’re responsible and wise, and you fight better than I do! ~ Genji argued.

~I think you yourself put it best, ‘there is more to life than following orders.’ I am those things because I must be, it is merely what I was taught. ~ Hanzo retorted. ~And true strength comes from more than a sword. ~

Genji vaguely remembered saying something like that a year or so ago; he was surprised that Hanzo remembered. ~And doubting the elders means you are doubting what you were taught? ~ He asked, knowing that realizing why Hanzo had been doubting himself.

~Yes. ~ Hanzo admitted. ~But if I was taught lies, and I am only what I was taught, then _what does that make me?_ ~

~Wiser than I thought. ~ Genji answered, putting his hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. ~And no matter what path you choose to take, you will always be my brother~

Hanzo was quiet for a moment, taking in Genji’s words. ~When I take over, I believe I am going to make a fresh start. ~ He stated. ~And get rid of the elders. Their influence over our clan is a weight tying us down. ~

~You want to start with a clean slate? ~ Genji asked.

~Precisely. ~ Hanzo confirmed. With the decision made, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders, but there was something else still weighing on his heart.

~There is something else troubling you, isn’t there brother? ~ Genji questioned, seeming to read Hanzo’s thoughts.

~There is. ~ Hanzo admitted. ~It’s Jesse. I think he misses the ocean, his family, and his freedom, though he never mentions it. The way he talks about them, there is always a sadness in tone. ~

~You don’t think he’s happy here? ~ Genji asked.

~I know that he enjoys it here, but I believe he would be happier in his home. ~ Hanzo clarified. ~Though I wouldn’t want to leave him in the ocean alone, and I don’t know where I would even begin to look for his family~

~You could ask Jesse about where he lived, and what it looked like. ~ Genji remarked. ~Maybe you could find it using the Shimada satellites, or access drones that take pictures of the ocean waters. You’ll have access to them whenever you take father’s place. ~

~That might work. ~ Hanzo agreed. ~But… there is a part of me, _a selfish part of me_ , that doesn’t want to let him go. ~

~It is not as if you would never see each other again. You both care too much for each other to allow that to happen. ~ Genji stated. ~You could buy an island close to wherever Jesse’s family lives, and he has a phone now, so you can always keep in touch. ~

Hanzo nodded, and visible perked up at the thought. ~Thank you. ~ He stated, turning to face his brother.

~For what? ~ Genji questioned.

~Listening, easing my worries. ~ Hanzo replied.

~It’s what I’m here for. ~ Genji remarked. ~ _Easing_ _worries and looking pretty_. ~

Hanzo snorted and gave Genji’s shoulder a playful shove. He paused a moment, having one last worry that he wanted to get off his chest. ~When I take over, will you stay? ~ He questioned.

~Yes.~ Genji replied, no hesitation in his answer. A month ago, he would have had no problem leaving the clan and never looking back, but now, he couldn’t imagine leaving his brother’s side. ~Now, shall we continue with target practice? ~

\--

Jesse found a nice spot of sand at the bottom of his tank, and made himself comfortable. He was looking through his phone, while absently munching on a bowl of live shrimp Hanzo had brought him. He stunned them first, so that they’d stay in the bowl, though one or two still managed to swim away.

While McCree was looking through the different feaures on his phone, the thing vibrated, and a little ‘1’ appeared on the ‘messeging’ icon Hanzo had shown him earlier. It was a text from genji, with a photo attached. The message said ‘he’s on a roll!’ and included Hanzo, holding some metal stick and string lookin’ thing, and he could see a circle with things sticking out of the middle. Things that Hanzo appeared to be firing at it. The man was beautiful and a fantastic shot, if Jesse wasn’t already in love with the human, he certainly would be head over heels now.

A moment later he got another message from Genji. It was anotjer picture of Hanzo, this time closer up, and Jesse could see that Hanzo was wearing something that he’d never seen before. It looked like part of his shirt was missing, not that he was complaining. He loved seeing Hanzo’s broad chest and muscular arms. He decided to try to text back. ‘what happened to halfhazard his shirt?’ He sent it before realizing his mistake and resent it with ‘what happened to half of his shirt?’

‘he decided left selves weren’t his style’ Genji replied. ‘But seriously it’s just for archery.’ He added a few seconds later.

‘is archery that thing that he’s doing right now?’ McCree asked.

‘yep.’ Genji answered. ‘oh, got to go, I think he caught me texting instead of meditating.’

Jesse smiled and set his phone down in the sand. He wondered how long it would take Hanzo to clear his head. He wanted to see the brother’s training, it looked fun. But he wasn’t going to push Hanzo before he was ready.

An hour or two later, Jesse felt the water vibrate, it was coming from his phone. He swam down to the bottom and saw ‘Hanzo’ at the top, and two little pictures, one green one red. He swiped his finger across the green one, and a voice came out of the phone, though he couldn’t understand it underwater, so he swam back to the surface. “Sorry, didn’t hear that.” McCree apologized to the phone.

He heard Hanzo chuckle through the phone. “I said, look behind you.” Hanzo clarified, smiling up at Jesse as he quickly turned around to see him.

“Howdy, darlin’ ” Jesse greeted. “You ‘nd Genji done with yer trainin’?”

“Yes.” Hanzo replied. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me back to my room?”

“I’d love ta, darlin’ ” Jesse stated, bubbling himself in water and lowering himself out of the tank and onto the wooden floor. When he finished drying himself off, he found some of the clothes he and Genji had gotten and put on a red yukata that had a koi pattern. When he was finished getting dressed, he walked over to Hanzo, and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Ready ta go!” He stated, a grin spreading across his face.

Hanzo smiled softly and lead Jesse back to his room. When the door was close, Hanzo leaned up and pulled Jesse into a kiss.

Jesse was a little startled by the sudden action, but easily relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Hanzo’s waist. Jesse could feel Hanzo’s tongue tracing lower lip; when he parted his lips, he felt Hanzo tongue moving against his own. When their lips finally parted, it left Jesse feeling like he wanted more.

“Shall we move to the bed?” Hanzo questioned, his lips already kiss swollen and his cheeks were flushed a light pink.

Jesse pressed a kiss to Hanzo’s forehead. “Sounds good ta me.”

Hanzo sat down cross legged on his bed, Jesse sat down beside him, mimicking his position.

“Hey Han?” Jesse started, turning to face Hanzo.

“Hmm?” Hanzo hummed in acknowledgement.

“Can I braid yer hair?” McCree asked.

“If you would like, go ahead.” Hanzo allowed. He turned so that his back was to Jesse, allowing him access to his hair.

Jesse pulled the scarf out, and ran his fingers through Hanzo’s hair. It was so soft and silky, and it smelled like the sakura blossoms that fell into his tank. His own hair was usually too short to braid, but he’d braided his sisters’ hair plenty of times. Usually he’d braid a few shells into it, but he didn’t have any at the moment, so he was going to have to make do without them.  

Hanzo wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when Jesse asked to braid his hair; he hadn’t even known that Jesse knew how to braid hair, but all in all, it was a pleasant experience. He found that he quite enjoyed the feeling of Jesse’s fingers in his hair, they were delicate but precise.

When McCree had finished, he used Hanzo’s scarf to tie off the braid. He took a picture of the braid with his phone and showed it to Hanzo. “All done, have a look.” He remarked.

“It’s lovely.” Hanzo commented, looking at the finished braid. It was quite intricate.

“Normally I’d add shells or coral, but I don’t really have any on me.” McCree stated.

“You did a wonderful job.” Hanzo praised, turning to face Jesse and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

McCree felt his cheeks begin to flush. “Aww shucks darlin,’ I’m glad ya like it.” He replied, leaning down to kiss Hanzo’s forehead.

“You’ll stay with me tonight, won’t you?” Hanzo questioned.

“Of course.” Jesse replied. “No place I’d rather be than here with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mermaid briad:  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b3/97/6b/b3976b8f9e8443e24f728fcd197e7c0a.jpg
> 
> Idioms:  
> Well slice me up and call me sushi : variation of – ‘well butter me up and call me a biscuit’ : translation - an expression of surprise.  
> like a kid in a candy store: to be very happy and excited about the things around you, and often to react to them in a way which is silly and not controlled
> 
> Uncommon English words:  
> Nifty – neat, cool, interesting
> 
> Japanese words:  
> Bokken – wooden sword used for sparing


	7. Weather Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt from anon: What about a chapter where McCree tries his weather powers with Hanzo, but he fucks up and make everything hot like the sun and Hanzo had to stay in the water tank with him until the effects fade? Bonus: They do the underwater cuddling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song suggested by Supersage171:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENwFAmeWEYk

When Hanzo awoke the next morning, the sky was gray. Clouds were rolling in from the east, likely bringing rain with them. Hanzo turned to look at Jesse, who was still asleep on his chest. He smiled softly and ran his fingers through McCree’s hair. “Anata, it’s time to wake up.” Hanzo stated.

McCree began to stir, blinking a few times before looking up at Hanzo. “Five more minutes.” He mumbled, burring his face in Hanzo’s chest.

“I’m sorry but I don’t believe we are going to have time for that.” Hanzo remarked, poking Jesse’s cheek. “It looks like it will rain soon, and you don’t want to get stuck here.”

“Would that be so bad?” McCree questioned.

“While I don’t mind you staying here, it would be a difficult situation to explain should a guard or servant come in here.” Hanzo explained. “I don’t have training today, so I can stay with you in your room.” He added. Hanzo could feel Jesse smiling against his skin.

McCree sat up and stretched. “Alright then.” He replied. “If I get ta spend time with ya, I don’t care where we go.”

\--

They reached Jesse’s room just before the temperature began to drop, followed by a downpour of rain. Jesse whistled. “We barely made it.” He commented, turning to face Hanzo.

Hanzo had been looking up at the rain through McCree’s window, glaring at it really. He had planned on taking Jesse out today for a date, but there was no way he could do that now. He would simply have to wait for another opportunity.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Jesse questioned. “You look like you got an urchin on your tail.”

“It is nothing, really.” Hanzo replied.  

“Han.” Jesse said firmly, taking Hanzo’s hands in his own. “Talk ta me.”

Hanzo felt his cheeks flush lightly. “It really isn’t that important.” He insisted, feeling embarrassed for getting worked up over such a minor inconvenience.

Jesse titled his head, eyes still locked with Hanzo’s, patiently waiting for the man to continue.

Hanzo let out a small sigh of defeat, realizing Jesse wasn’t going to let this go. “I was hoping that we could go out today, but it looks like it will be raining all day. So I was a little disappointed.” He admitted.

Jesse smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of Hanzo’s head. “Aww, that’s real sweet of ya darlin’ ”

“I know I shouldn’t let it bother me.” Hanzo remarked. “It’s not as if I can control the weather. There’s nothing that can be done about it.”

“Well, I mean, I can sort of control weather darlin.’ ” McCree commented. “I could try ta make it sunny if you want. No promises though, since I’ve never done this before.”

“If you could, that would be wonderful.” Hanzo stated. “But don’t overwork yourself, please.”

“Got it!” Jesse replied. “Just gimmie a sec and I’ll have it nice ‘nd sunny!” McCree remembered his mother teaching him the spell. It was simple in theory. Think about how you want the weather to be, focus on it, reach towards the sky, and then the boom, weather changed. Sunny, sunny warm thoughts, everything nice and dry, no clouds, just sunshine and good times.

Hanzo could feel the energy radiating off of Jesse, it was similar to how he felt being with his dragons, but different all the same. He almost seemed to glow. All at once, the storm passed, the sun was out. All of the clouds had simply vanished. “It worked.” Hanzo muttered to himself mostly. However, it seemed to have only partially worked. The sun was out, but now it was hot, like the hottest days of summer were here. “Perhaps a little too well.” He added, pulling out his fan and attempting to cool himself off. He could already feel himself sweating.

McCree rubbed the back of his neck. It was sunny alright, and humid as could be. “I’m sorry, darlin’ ” Jesse apologized.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Hanzo stated, pressing a chaste kiss to McCree’s lips. “You were trying to be helpful, that’s what matters.”

“Still messed up real bad.” Jesse remarked.

“You didn’t mess up that badly.” Hanzo retorted. “The storm _is_ gone.”

Jesse smiled. “Now who’s the optimist.”

Hanzo chuckled. “I believe you still hold that title.” He replied. “However, now it’s far too hot to go anywhere, I’m not sure what we should do.”

“We could go fer a swim.” Jesse suggested. “The water’s always a good place ta cool off.”

“I didn’t bring my swimsuit.” Hanzo stated.

“Do ya need it?” Jesse questioned.

“I suppose I don’t.” Hanzo relented, cheeks slightly flushed. “You go in first, I’ll meet you.”

“Alright.” McCree replied, shedding his yukata and making his way up the ladder and into the water.

Hanzo pulled out his phone and texted Genji, asking him not to come into McCree’s room, and to make sure no one comes in. He got a reply almost instantly, it was very suggestive and had and inappropriate use of emojis, but Genji had agreed not to enter, so he would let the remark slide. Hanzo set his phone down and undressed, folding his yukata neatly and setting it down beside his phone. Hanzo wasn’t a self-conscience man, so he had no qualms about wearing his  fundoshi instead of his usual swimsuit. He climbed up the ladder of McCree’s tank, feeling Jesse’s eyes on him as he eased his way into the water.

Jesse had been leaning against the rim of the tank. Now he knew that Hanzo was beautiful; he also knew that he was strong, muscular, and looked mighty fine without a shirt on, but _damn_ Hanzo was fit. Nearly every inch of the man was muscle. He couldn’t stop himself from staring. “Wow you’re pretty.” Jesse commented, apparently having no filter anymore.

Hanzo chuckled, taking pride in the light blush that spread across McCree’s cheeks. “Thank you.” Hanzo replied, making his way over to McCree and wrapping his arms around the mermaid’s neck. He easily closed the space between them, tongue slipping between Jesse’s lips as he leaned into the kiss.  

Jesse closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, one arm holding onto the rim of the tank, the other firmly wrapped around Hanzo’s hip. Jesse would have been content to stay like that, but Hanzo needed to breathe.

Hanzo panted lightly, and ran damp finders through his hair. “I believe I need to practice holding my breath.” Hanzo commented. “I’m no match against you.”

Jesse laughed and kissed Hanzo’s cheek. “Didn’t know this was a competition.” He remarked.

“It’s not.” Hanzo stated. _‘But if it was I’d be losing._ ’ He thought to himself. He should be able to hold his breath longer. He had the heart of a dragon, surly that counted for something? Hanzo buried his face in the crook of Jesse’s neck. They both smelled like salt water and sakura blossoms. Hanzo gently nipped and sucked Jesse’s neck, marking his skin. He smirked as Jesse let out a startled gasp.

“Han-” Jesse mumbled weakly, feeling a strange rush of pleasure as Hanzo kissed a certain spot his neck.

“Yes?” Hanzo replied innocently, pulling back to look up at Jesse.

“Why ya got tease me like that?” Jesse asked, kissing the top of Hanzo’s head.

“Why do you make it so fun?” Hanzo retorted, pressing a chaste kiss to Jesse’s lips. “Though if you truly dislike it, you simply have to ask and I’ll stop.” He added in a more serious tone.

“I don’t _dislike_ it, but a little warning wouldn’t hurt.” Jesse replied.

“Next time I’ll try to warn you then.” Hanzo remarked, moving one hand to trail down Jesse’s back, fingers carefully tracing the spines that ran down to Jesse’s fins.

Jesse hummed softly to the tune of song he thought he’d forgotten.  

 

\--

“I want to practice holding my breath.” Hanzo stated. “Would you help me?”

“If I can do anything, I will darlin’ ” McCree replied.

“Good, because I would like you to stay underwater with me while I practice.” Hanzo explained.

“I can do that.” Jesse remarked. “When ya need air I’ll bring ya back up. Tap on my arm when ya do, alright?”

“I promise you, I will.” Hanzo replied, wrapping his arms around McCree’s neck and pressing their chests together. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes and Jesse pulled them both underwater. Hanzo’s hair flowed wildly around him, he opened his eyes, the saltwater stinging them slightly. He was able to adjust, and turned his attention to Jesse, who seemed to be right at home. Hanzo smiled fondly, and rested his head on McCree’s chest. When he needed air, he would tap Jesse’s arm and the mermaid would bring him back to the surface. And then the process would repeat itself again.

Hanzo was beginning to feel more confident, having held his breath a minute longer than he usually could. Though he would be lying if he didn’t also just enjoy watching Jesse underwater, looking like he was _at home_. McCree’s scales were smooth against his skin, it was a comfortable feeling. Every now and then Jesse would blow bubbles at his face, which tickled his skin as they rose to the surface.

The next time they resurfaced, cupped McCree’s cheek, tilting his face to meet his gaze. He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to the mermaid’s lips. When he pulled back, he didn’t feel as out of breath, he was making progress. “Jesse?”

“Yes?” McCree replied.

“Could you sing something?” Hanzo questioned.

“Anything specific ya want ta hear?” Jesse asked.

“No, whatever you sing I will enjoy.” Hanzo stated.

McCree hummed, trying to think of a song he hadn’t sung to Hanzo yet. “There’s one old one that my mother taught me, I think you’ll like it.” Jesse remarked.

“Really? Please let me hear it.” Hanzo requested.

Jesse closed his eyes, and tried to remember all of the words. “You are the oceans grey waves-”

Hanzo closed his eyes, and rested his head against Jesse’s shoulder, listening to the man’s song. He noted that it was in English this time.

\--

Hanzo looked at his hand, and how pruny it was getting. “Jesse, I think I am going to have to get out.” He stated.

“Already?” Jesse questioned.

“Jesse, it’s been hours.” Hanzo replied.

“Has it? Time sure flies when I’m with you.” McCree remarked.

Hanzo chuckled and pressed a chaste kiss to Jesse’s lips. “ _I’m_ getting out,” He stated. “You are free to join me.” He added, letting go of McCree to swim over to the ladder. As he climbed out, he could still feel Jesse’s eyes on him. “Coming?” He questioned, as he reached the ladder.

“Yeah, just gimme a minute.” Jesse replied.

Jesse was dry and walking by the time Hanzo had climbed down the ladder. Hanzo briefly remembered that he didn’t have a towel. “Jesse?” Hanzo called. “Do you think you could dry me off?” He questioned.

“I can try.” Jesse replied. He reached his hand towards Hanzo, without actually touching him and getting himself wet, and steam began to rise off of Hanzo’s skin. “Tell me it you get uncomfortable.”

“I will if I need to, but I don’t believe I’ll have to.” Hanzo replied. He was pleasantly dry once McCree had finished. Hanzo closed the distance between them and pressed a sweet kiss to Jesse’s lips. “Thank you.” He said before turning to get dressed. “And just so you know, Genji got you boxers so you could wear them under your yukata, not so they could sit in your shopping bag.” He teased.

“They’re constricting.” Jesse defended. ‘And no tail room at all,’ he thought to himself.

“Wear them, or don’t. I was merely teasing you, Anata.” Hanzo replied, not bothering to hide his smirk.

“Well then I chose don’t.” McCree stated, changing into a red and pink yukata with a sakura blossom pattern.

“Alright, but I will say that you will need to wear them should you leave the castle grounds.” Hanzo stated.

“But-” McCree started.

“Nope, that’s your one rule.” Hanzo restated firmly.

“That’s cruel.” Jesse replied.

“You’re ridiculous.” Hanzo remarked.

“True, but I’m _your_ ridiculous mermaid.” Jesse retorted.

“That you are.” Hanzo affirmed, pressing a chaste kiss to Jesse’s lips. “Now let’s go back to my room, I think we could both use some rest.

“I can get behind that.” Jesse replied, holding Hanzo’s hand in his and following the Shimada back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiom:  
> An urchin on your tail : A burr in your saddle : Describes when you look upset 
> 
> Slang:  
> Gimmie : Give me
> 
> Japanese to English:  
> Anata: term of endearment, usually used between married couples


	8. A Walk to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Jesse go out on their first real date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so after Finals, Family, Writer's block, and trying to grind in overwatch for holiday skins, i finally got to writing the next chapter for this  
> thank you to the tumblr anon who motivated me to get this finished ( ᐛ )و

“Father returns tomorrow, so you two need to sneak out now and go on a date.” Genji stated, the wooden blade of his Bokken clashing with Hanzo’s.

Hanzo held his ground and forced Genji back, moving to strike at his chest, which Genji barely avoided. “Where would we even go?” Hanzo questioned.

“The arcade, the ramen shop, an _aquarium_.” Genji suggested, moving to dodge another blow from Hanzo. “Seriously though, you could take him anywhere and I’d think he’d be happy just to be with you. Maybe take a walk in the park.” Genji added, striking at Hanzo’s leg and nearly succeeding in hitting it.

Hanzo dodged Genji’s strike and countered, successfully stopping his blade just before Genji’s neck, winning their match. “I will consider it.” Hanzo remarked.

“Ok, well go consider it in your room. You need to wear something nice for your date.” Genji retorted, sheathing his Bokken. “I’ll help McCree get ready.”

Hanzo paused for a moment, looking over at his brother. “Thank you.” He said, sheathing his own Bokken. He made his way to his room, trying to decide where he and McCree should go. As he riffled through his dresser he decided that it would be too dangerous to take McCree to an aquarium since he could easily get water on himself and switch back. And Jesse wasn’t really accustomed to human food, so no Ramen shop. Hanzo rarely went to the arcade now that he was getting older and given more responsibilities. It would be nice to go back there for something other than fetching Genji, and McCree would probably enjoy himself there as well. It was decided, they would go to the arcade, then go for sushi, and perhaps if they still had time, they would go for a walk in the park as well.

The weather had only slightly recovered from McCree’s influence, so Hanzo decided to wear his blue v-neck shirt since it was made with a thin material, and his black skinny jeans. He laced his sneakers and made sure he had his wallet and fully charged cell phone. He needed to be available in case Genji needed to contact him for something.

When he was ready, he made his way to McCree’s room. He found Jesse standing by his tank in blue skinny jeans, a white tank top and red flannel shirt. The mermaid seemed to be arguing with Genji about whether or not he should wear his ridiculous cowboy hat.

“McCree if you wear that you’ll draw too much attention to yourself.” Genji protested.

“But I like my hat.” McCree stated. “And I never get a chance ta wear it.”

“McCree, you have to understand that you already look like a foreigner, wearing a cowboy hat would bring attention to yourself and Hanzo.” Genji explained. “You don’t want that, trust me. Wear the hat when you two get back, but don’t wear it out.”

“Alright.” McCree relented, pouting as he set his hat back down.

“Are you ready to go?” Hanzo asked, walking over to Jesse.

McCree’s smile soon returned to his face. “Sure am, darlin’ ” He replied, taking Hanzo’s hand in his own and lacing their fingers together.

Hanzo nodded and then turned his attention to Genji. “Is the back entrance unguarded?” He questioned.  

“Yep, you have about five minutes until that changes though, so hurry up lovebirds.” Genji replied.

Hanzo rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. “Lets go now then, Jesse.” Hanzo suggested. “Thank you, Genji.” He added, before leading McCree out of the palace and into the streets of Hanamura.

\---

“So, where ‘re we going, exactly?” McCree asked, following alongside Hanzo.

“We are heading to the arcade.” Hanzo replied. “It’s a place filled with games.”

“What kinda games?” Jesse questioned.

“They have many different kinds.” Hanzo stated. “We are almost there, you will see for yourself.”

McCree nodded, following Hanzo as they approached a large building with some crab looking thing hanging on the front of it. When they went inside it was full of things Jesse had never seen before, big boxy things that were partially lit up with lights and moving pictures. Jesse didn’t understand what anything was or how it worked, but it sure looked cool.

As they made their way through the arcade Hanzo noticed how everyone in the arcade moved out of their way, giving them space, he wondered if that was Genji’s doing or simply the fear of the Shimada name. Hanzo lead McCree over to one of the shooting games. He let go of Jesse’s hand and gave him one of the guns, taking the other for himself. “The goal for this game is to kill the zombies that are trying to kill you. They’ll walk slowly towards the screen, if they reach it, you die.” Hanzo explained. “It’s two player, so I’ll be with you.” He added. He showed Jesse how to shoot and reload, and then put yen in the machine to start the game.

Hanzo could barely remember the last time he’d played this game with Genji. It took him a few tries before he figured out where the hitboxes were on the zombies, allowing him to get perfect headshots every time. Jesse seemed to be faring fairly well, demonstrating his predatory instincts and quick reflexes; their scores were almost evenly matched. They were eventually overtaken by a horde, but they set the new record in the machine, scoring a few thousand points above his and Genji’s old score. He briefly wondered how many records Genji had set by himself in here. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard McCree talking to him. “I’m sorry could you repeat that?” He asked.

“I said that was really somethin’ else!” Jesse restated. “We almost had them too.”

“Yes, well that particular game doesn’t have an actual ending.” Hanzo commented. “It just keeps going until you die.”

“So what’s the point?” McCree questioned.

“To get the highest score, which we did.” Hanzo informed. “But let’s play another game now. We could play Holoblocks ping-pong.”

“If ya think it’ll be fun, I’ll give it a shot.” McCree replied, following Hanzo over to a table with two orange and blue, glowing paddles and a little glowing ball in-between them.

“The paddles are made of hard-light.” Hanzo stated. He preceded to explain the rules of the game to Jesse and showed him how to hold the paddle and serve. Once he was done teaching McCree the basics, the real game began. Hanzo decided to handicap himself by playing with his nondominant hand, since Jesse had never played before.

Jesse kept his focus on the little ball, doing his best to keep up a rally with Hanzo. This game was a lot trickier than the last one, but he managed to get the hang of it. Nothing would ever match the look on Hanzo’s face when Jesse managed to score a point against him, his smile was so genuine, like he was _so happy_ to see Jesse doing well; it just made Jesse try harder to score again, for the chance to see that smile again. In the end, McCree managed to win, eight to six. He was pretty sure he only won because Hanzo was going easy on him, but he’d take his victories where he could.

“Think I got the hang of this.” Jesse remarked, putting the paddle back down.

“Yes, you did very well.” Hanzo agreed. “Would you like to go get lunch now?”

“Sure.” Jesse replied. As they were leaving, a different game caught his eye, it had a big claw, and lots of cute little critters inside it. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring at them until Hanzo stopped walking.

“Do you want one?” He questioned.

Jesse nodded. “They’re pretty darn cute.” He commented.

“Give me a moment and I’ll get you one.” Hanzo replied, putting his yen into the machine and starting up the game. He’d won at least a few dozen of these Pachimari for Genji when he was younger and Genji didn’t have the patience to do it himself. He managed to grab the largest one in the machine on his first try. He handed the plush over to Jesse. “Here you are.”

“Thanks darlin’ ” Jesse said, holding the toy close to his chest.

\---

Hanzo decided to take Jesse to a family run sushi restaurant that he and Genji had frequented as children. He remembered it tasting fresh, so hopefully Jesse would enjoy it. When they entered the small shop, they were seated almost immediately, not because it wasn’t crowded, _it was the dinner rush after all,_ but he was a Shimada. They were given their menus and when their waitress left, Hanzo explained what was on it to Jesse. When their waitress returned, Hanzo ordered for himself and Jesse; he got a dragon roll for himself, and Kani and ebi rolls for McCree.

Without thinking, he also ordered himself and Jesse a bottle of sake to share. Even though Hanzo was technically too young to drink, he and Genji were expected to drink alongside his father and his business partners, so he’d learned to hold his liquor, but Jesse had never had alcohol before. After their waitress left, Hanzo pulled out his phone and made a few quick google searches, ‘ _can fish drink alcohol_?’ soon followed by ‘ _can fish get drunk_?’ Which were both surprising educational searches, as he learned that fish can drink alcohol and get drunk, as well as the fact that drunk fish ‘get more confident and take leadership.’ Honestly that didn’t sound too different from when Genji gets drunk, but all the same he’d have to make sure Jesse didn’t drink too much. The last thing he wanted was to give McCree his first hangover.

“Whatcha doin’?” Jesse questioned.

“I was checking something on my phone, it’s not important.” Hanzo replied.

“Whatever ya say.” McCree commented. “So whaddaya want to do after this?”

“I was thinking of taking a walk in the park.” Hanzo stated. They wouldn’t really have many opportunities to walk together once Father returned. He would miss little things like this.

“That sounds mighty fine ta me.” Jesse remarked.

When their sushi and sake were brought to them, Hanzo poured Jesse’s cup for him. “Be careful with this.” He warned, silently praying to any god who would listen that McCree wouldn’t spill any on himself and grow a tail in the middle of the restaurant.

Jesse took the cup and tried it. It didn’t really taste like anything he’d ever had in the sea, and it had a sort of cool, stinging aftertaste and it burned a little as it went down. This was usually a sign not to drink/eat something, but he trusted Hanzo so he ignored that instinct. The sushi was good, still not as tasty as live stuff, but good all the same. He remembered Genji telling him about how some restaurants sell live octopus, but this one didn’t have anything like that. After his second cup of sake, McCree felt a slight buzz, and his cheeks were flushed a slight pink; he could swear his body started to feel a little warmer.

\---

“Two cups in and you’re already tipsy.” Hanzo teased, taking a sip from his own cup.

“I dunno what that means.” McCree commented, having never been called tipsy before.

“It means you’re drunk.” Hanzo replied.

“Yeah, well you’re sexy.” Jesse retorted.

“ _Ridiculous_.” Hanzo mumbled under his breath. Shortly after they finished their meal and Hanzo paid for their check. As they stood to leave, Jesse took Hanzo’s hand in his own and lead them out of the shop. McCree seemed to be leading the way; however, Hanzo wasn’t sure if the mermaid actually knew where the park was or not. He considered giving Jesse directions, but he looked so confident that he didn’t want to correct him, besides he was sure that McCree would find it eventually.

After taking possibly the longest possible route to the park, they made their way down the path that lead to the cherry blossoms. The sun had already set, and the moon was high in the sky. There was a cool breeze that carried a few stray petals through the air. At one point Jesse stopped walking, making Hanzo and look at McCree to see what was wrong, only to be greeted by Jesse pulling him into a sweet kiss. Part of him was telling him that he shouldn’t be doing this so publicly, and the other part couldn’t care less. There weren’t many people out this late at night regardless.

Jesse wrapped his arms around Hanzo’s waist, pulling him closer. He wasn’t sure how many opportunities they would have to kiss when Hanzo’s father returned, so without really putting much thought into it, he decided he was going to get as many kisses as he could before the night was over.

Hanzo soon lead McCree over to a park bench, though it was a difficult task with Jesse stealing kisses the entire walk over. It was so easy to get lost in Jesse’s kisses. They were sweet, captivating, and left Hanzo wanting more.

Minutes turned into hours, and by the time Hanzo finally checked his phone, he realized they needed to get back, now. Hanzo texted Genji, letting him know that he and Jesse were on their way home. The back entrance was clear when they arrived, so he had little to no trouble sneaking McCree back to his room.

“Unfortunately, you can’t stay with me tonight.” Hanzo stated. “I don’t know when my father will return tomorrow, and if he comes back early, it would be risky to have you in my room.” Hanzo wasn’t sure what his father would do if he found a man in Hanzo’s bed with him, let alone one that was supposed to be a pet. He didn’t want to think about it.

“It’s alright darlin’ ” Jesse assured him, placing a small kiss to Hanzo’s forehead. “I understand, ‘nd I’ll be right here whenever ya want ta stop by.”

“I’ll be sure to take you up on that, Anata.” Hanzo replied, stealing one last kiss before making his way back to his own room.

Jesse set his Pachimari down by his clothes and put his cowboy hat on its head. Memories were something he cherished, and tonight was definitely something he intended on remembering for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese to English:  
> Kani : Crab  
> Ebi: Shrimp
> 
> English slang translation:  
> Whatcha: what are you  
> Whaddaya: what do you  
> Dunno: do not know
> 
> That article Hanzo found:  
> http://mentalfloss.com/article/57027/heres-what-happens-when-fish-get-drunk


	9. McCree Makes Some New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is stuck in a business meeting, so the noodle dragons keep McCree company in his absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapters a little short
> 
> Hope you guys still like it
> 
> Not beta read
> 
> Comments and criticisms always welcome!

Father had returned early the next morning, and arranged for some business partners to meet with him and his sons, requiring both Hanzo and Genji to devote their entire day to entertaining their guests, which really meant being forced to sit in a room and listen to them talk at each other for hours. These meetings were easier to tolerate when he didn’t have anything else better to do than learn about his future position, but right now all Hanzo wanted to do was spend time with McCree. He finally understood why Genji was always fidgeting during these long meetings and always trying to find some escape, when you had somewhere you would rather be, this was borderline torture.

_You don’t want McCree to be alone._

That was true. Hanzo knew that McCree loved being around people, not trapped alone in a tank for hours. Without any visitors, McCree would probably be even more miserable than Hanzo felt right now.

_We could keep him company._

Hanzo thought about it for a moment. He was in no immediate danger, and didn’t require his dragons protection, and wouldn’t for the day. _Go to him then._ Hanzo requested, soon feeling his dragons leave his side and slip out of the room undetected.

He and Genji might be trapped here all day, but at least McCree won’t be alone, the thought was enough to get Hanzo through the day.

\---

McCree lazily swam around his small enclosure. Genji had managed to sneak him some food, two bags of frozen shrimp to be precise, before running off to wherever he needed to be today. He swam down to the bottom of the tank, laying in the shallow sand that covered the floor. He wondered how long Hanzo and Genji would be today, and how often this was going to happen. Jesse knew there wasn’t much he could do about the situation, so he figured he’d just have to grin and bear it.

As he was pondering taking a nap, he heard something tapping against the glass. He wondered if another sparrow had flown into his room. Having nothing better to do, Jesse swam over to investigate the sound. That sure _wasn’t_ a bird. McCree had heard of dragons, in old stories from his mother, and seen some in sunken paintings, and if he had ta guess, that’s what the two  glowing blue creatures were on the other side of the glass. They were a little smaller than he would have imagined a dragon to be, but then again maybe they were just young?

_We aren’t young, we are merely shapeshifters._

That sure wasn’t his own thought. McCree honestly didn’t know how to respond to that and was left momentarily speechless. As he looked at the little dragons, he noticed that they looked awfully familiar, like the dragon tattoo that Hanzo had on his arm, and not only that, but their aura felt strangely similar to Hanzo’s.

 _We are Hanzo’s spirit dragons._ One of them seemed to have decided to introduce herself. _I am Soba, this is Udon._

 _Hanzo can’t be with you today, but he didn’t want you to be alone, so we are here to keep you company._ The other, most likely ‘Udon’ explained.

McCree smiled, it was nice to know that Hanzo cared enough to do something like this. “I’d appreciate the company.” Jesse remarked, and that seemed to be all the dragons needed before they flew up the tank and into the water. They were mighty fine swimmers too, reminded him of sea otters; their chirps even sort of sounded like them.

They played an old game that he used to play with his school; he froze a ball of ice and they took turns trying to capture it before it melted away, swimming after whoever had it and trying to get it away from them. Soba and Udon picked up the game almost immediately. When the ball finally melted, the last one to have it won, and McCree would make another so they could play again.

\---

Hanzo hoped that McCree was enjoying his day today, because he certainly was not. He forgot have annoying it was having these men try to win his favor in the hopes of getting closer to his father. He didn’t understand why they expected him to be so naïve that he couldn’t clearly see their true intentions, or when they were obviously lying through their teeth in order to sound more impressive than they truly were.

Genji seemed to enjoy making a game of it. Watching as they backed themselves into a corner with their deceit. It was difficult to watch at times; he couldn’t believe how dense some crime lords could be. Then again, it was more the error of underestimating them Hanzo supposed. An error that they wouldn’t make again, which would make negotiations more straight forward when he and Genji took over from their father. Hanzo knew that was one of the main reasons they were here.

Hanzo knew that their father was getting old, and that the stress of his position was wearing him out. He hoped that his father would be able to retire before damage caught up with him; he and Genji could take over when he turned twenty-one, and father could retire in peace, though Hanzo knew that his father would likely meet his end before that day will come. Still, it was a nice hope.

\---

 _You are cheating._ Soba accused.

“I am not.” McCree returned. “You just need more practice is all.” He added, tossing the ball of ice over to the dragon.

They had moved on from their first game, to another of McCree’s favorites. He’d stacked up a few cylinders of ice, and perched them on one of the rocks, the goal of the game being to knock them all over in the least number of throws.

The dragons used a technique that Jesse had only seen a few times; they would hold the ball of ice and spin around in circles a few times, building up speed, before finally releasing and hurling the ball at the target. McCree would stop the ball before it hit the glass if it looked like he would need to, but he never messed up their shots.

McCree had perfected the game years ago, back when he had his school to play with. His aim was unrivaled, and he managed to knock all the ice away with his first shot. Soba and Udon didn’t seem to appreciate his aim, but they still seemed to be enjoying themselves, chirping happily whenever they managed to knock the cylinders down.

\---

~Do you think McCree is alright? ~ Genji questioned quietly to Hanzo. The two had finally found a moment to themselves as the _‘adults’_ went in another room to further their discussion.

~I sent Soba and Udon to him, so he should be alright. ~ Hanzo stated, being sure to keep his voice low. Just because they seemed to be alone didn’t rule out the chances of someone trying to overhear their conversation.

~Oh, I should have thought of something like that. ~ Genji mumbled. ~Ramen would have wanted to join them. ~

~Perhaps another time. ~ Hanzo suggested. ~This surely won’t be the last time we are stuck in these meetings. ~

~Oh so now you admit that we are trapped here. ~ Genji remarked. ~Where was _this_ Hanzo five months ago? ~

Hanzo rolled his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. ~He was misguided and didn’t truly understand the importance of life outside of business. ~ Hanzo stated. ~I apologize for ever lecturing you about trying to leave these early. ~

~I accept your apology, brother. ~ Genji replied. ~It is nice to see you’re enjoying life again. ~

~Thank you. ~ Hanzo said, and before he could speak further, he heard the footsteps of his Father and the other’s returning. ~We will speak more later. ~ He promised.

\--- 

McCree watched as the two dragons disappeared into Hanzo’s tattoo. “I hope they were well behaved for you.” Hanzo remarked, walking over to Jesse’s tank.

“They were, promise.” McCree stated. “It was fun playing with ‘em.” He added.

Hanzo climbed the ladder of McCree’s tank so he could kiss Jesse goodnight. “I am sorry I could not be with you today. Trust me when I say I would have much rather been here with you, but I have duties that I must attend to.” He explained.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it sweetheart.” McCree commented, pressing a chaste kiss to Hanzo’s lips. “I know you can’t spend all yer time with me, and I’m happy with what yer givin’ me now. ‘Sides the dragons were good company.”

Hanzo felt his lips curling into a smile as he leaned in to press one last kiss to Jesse’s lips. “You are too good for me, Anata.” He remarked.

“Love you too.” McCree replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send me prompts at my tumblr: mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Idiom:  
> grin and bare it – to endure/accept something unpleasant in good humor


	10. Family and Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo wants to learn more about Jesse. What his home was like, as well as the friends and family he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read
> 
>  
> 
> Comments and criticisms always welcome!

The past few days had been hectic. Hanzo had so many chores assigned to him, that he barely got to see McCree for more than five minutes before he needed to leave and attend to his duties. By the end of the week, his father seemed to show some mercy on him, and allowed him a day off, one which he intended on using to spend time with Jesse.

The mermaid in question was leisurely swimming around his tank when Hanzo entered with a bowl of fresh fish and another with live shrimp.

When McCree finally noticed him, he grinned and swam to the top of the tank. “Well howdy there Han, ain’t you a sight fer sore eyes.” McCree greeted.

“Good morning to you as well.” Hanzo replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I brought you breakfast.” He added, moving to climb the ladder so he could hand the bowls to Jesse.

“Thank ya kindly.” McCree said, taking the bowls from Hanzo and setting them at the bottom of his tank. Some of the shrimp managed to swim away, but that just meant it would more fun getting them down the current. A moment later he swam back to the surface, combing his fingers through his damp hair, pushing it out of his face.

“My father allowed me to take a break today.” Hanzo commented, resisting the urge to laugh as he watched McCree’s face split into a stupidly big grin. “So, I was hoping to spend that time with you.” He added.

“I certainly have no objections.” McCree replied, resting his elbows on the edge of his tank so he could lean up and press a kiss to Hanzo’s lips.

Hanzo wrapped an arm around McCree’s back, pulling him into the kiss. He had almost forgotten how much he missed this. A few moments later, they parted, and Hanzo pressed a few soft kisses to Jesse’s chin, cheek, and forehead.

“Jesse, I was hoping that we could talk today.” Hanzo commented, pressing another kiss just under Jesse’s ear.

“What about?” McCree questioned, cheeks dusted a ruddy red.

“I wanted to know more about your family, and where you grew up; what it was like.” Hanzo admitted. “I want to know more about you.” He added, leaning back to meet Jesse’s gaze.

“Well, I’ll tell ya anythin’ ya want ta hear, darlin’ ” McCree replied, easily. “What d’ya wanna hear first?”

“Tell me about where you grew up, what was it like?” Hanzo requested. If he could learn about where McCree used to live, there was a small chance that one day, he’d be able to find it.

“Sunny, clear blue skies, crystal clear water, coral reefs full of fish ‘nd other critters. Everythin’ was bright ‘nd full of life. Past the reefs were long stretches of sand with a few rocks scattered here and there, usually had a few crabs on ‘em. Every now ‘nd then a patch of seaweed would float by. The water stretched on forever, ‘nd it was deep where I stayed. Sometimes dolphin would swim by, they were fun ta play with.” McCree stated. “There were a few islands in our territory, they seemed abandoned by humans.”

“How many, what did they look like?” Hanzo questioned. Any details he could get from the mermaid would be helpful. Though an aerial view probably didn’t capture the same picture as someone looking around from the water’s level.

“Three, all within a reasonable distance to each other. Not too big, sorta made a straight line. They were pretty far away from the rest of the islands that were closer to the mainland, and had a lot of green plants ‘nd trees.” McCree described.

“Did you ever go to the mainland? Was it in your territory?” Hanzo asked, his genuine curiosity getting the better of him.

“Yeah, I went there once ‘r twice with Gabe, ‘nd yeah it was in our territory, but there were a lot of people on the mainland, and a _lot_ more boats, so we usually stuck to the deeper waters.” McCree explained.

“I see.” Hanzo remarked. “And what of your family and friends?” As much as Hanzo wanted to learn about McCree’s home, to help his chances of returning McCree there, Hanzo hadn’t been lying when he said he wanted to know more about Jesse. Because Jesse might tell a story every now and then of his past, but it always felt like pieces were missing.

“Well, my ma usually stayed with the school, while my sisters and I preferred the shallower sandy stretches by the three islands. We could play around there without bothering any of our school’s elderly.” McCree stated.

“You have sisters? You haven’t spoken of them before.” Hanzo said, moving to run his fingers through Jesse’s hair.

“I haven’t? Well, l’ll tell ya ‘bout them now, then.” McCree replied. “I have two little sisters, Gabriella, and Juanita. They were some of the fastest and feistiest girls in our school. Kicked my tail in almost every game we played.”

“Do you miss them?” Hanzo asked. He couldn’t imagine how lost he would feel if something where to separate him from Genji.

“Every day.” McCree said honestly. “But I know they’re getting on just fine without me. They were always so strong.”

“I’m sorry.” Hanzo apologized, holding McCree’s gaze.

“Don’t be, it’s not like I was even with them before I got caught and taken here.” McCree remarked. “If I wasn’t here, I’d still be stuck with that group of barracuda, and trust me, I like it _here_ much more than I ever did there.” He added, leaning in for a quick kiss.

A small smile graced Hanzo’s lips. He’d almost forgotten what an optimist the mermaid was. “You spoke of you mother, but I don’t believe you’ve ever mentioned your father.” Hanzo commented.

“Well, my Pa died when I was little. Got sick. I don’t really remember much of him.” McCree explained. “My school doesn’t have an official leader, but if we did, I’d be Gabe. I don’t know why, but he sorta took me under his fin; he was the closest thing I ever had to a father.”

“What was he like?” Hanzo questioned.

“Well, he was a mean looking son of a shark, but that was all an act. He was actually really nice; helped braid my little sisters’ hair, was always there to bail us out of trouble. He had a sixth sense fer when we was up ta somethin’. He was smart as a rip too, he taught me how ta hunt, use my flash bang, and he was helpin’ me learn to use my other powers before… well, _ya know._ ”

“Did you have any friends?” Hanzo asked. Someone as likable as McCree must have some outside of his family.

“A few good ones. There was Angie, an angel fish mermaid who got separated from her school and joined ours; sweet as could be. Angie could heal any wound, and I usually got myself cut up playing rough, so we saw each other a lot.” McCree said. “And Sombra, she was a cuttlefish mermaid, quick as the devil too, and a damn cheat in hide ‘n seek.” He added. “But she was good company.”

“Was Sombra also separated from her school?” Hanzo questioned.

“Her? Nah, she ditched them. Said they weren’t any fun, and after meeting my school, she decided ta stay.” McCree replied. 

“If, if you could go back to them… would you still want to see me?” Hanzo asked.

“I- Of course! Darlin’ I love my school, but I love _you_ too, sweetheart.” McCree stated. “I know I’d miss you just as much I miss them now if I lost you too. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Hanzo felt a lump forming in his throat. He pulled Jesse into a kiss, wrapping his arms around the mermaid’s shoulders. Jesse was damp, and Hanzo’s sleeves would need time to dry, but he didn’t care about that right now. All Hanzo wanted, was Jesse, to _be_ Jesse’s. McCree seemed to feel the same way if heat in the kiss, and the hands running up his sides were anything to go by.

Hanzo was consumed with emotions, feelings he’d thought he’d be able to keep bottle up, but now they were spilling over. Words that had been left unsaid, now expressed through action instead. ‘I’m here, I care for you, I don’t want to lose you.’ Hanzo was loved, _truly loved_ and cared for, and he wanted to return those feelings to Jesse.

The moment however took a turn when Hanzo felt himself being pulled _into_ the tank. Evidently, it was easy for Jesse to lose focus, and forget that he needed to be constantly holding himself out of the water with his tail when his hands were preoccupied with roaming every inch of Hanzo, which lead to the predicament they now found themselves in. Hanzo was momentarily shocked, but as soon as McCree brought them back to the surface, he had laughter bubbling out of him. He could feel Jesse smile against his lips as they kissed again.

\--

Jesse definitely didn’t plan this, but it was nice having Hanzo so close to him, to be able to really hold him again. His hands seemed to move on their own, slipping underneath Hanzo’s yukata. Hanzo seemed to know what he wanted, and slipped out of his sleeves. Jesse didn’t hesitate before moving to exploring every inch of skin he could reach. He leaned into Hanzo’s kiss, it was almost enough to take his breath away, which was a feeling he wasn’t particularly used to, but not one he minded either.

Hanzo had one hand running his fingers through Jesse’s hair, while the other found the small of his back, gently feeling where the spines began to run down McCree’s tail. Jesse kept them folded down, so they shouldn’t be able to harm Hanzo. The man in question moved on to trace little patterns in McCree’s scales, it felt nice.

Jesse moved to trail kisses down Hanzo’s chin, while his hands massaged Hanzo’s chest. The man was all muscle, and McCree loved every inch of him. He had to constantly remind himself not to get carried away; it felt so easy to let himself get lost in Hanzo, but he couldn’t lose his focus again. He needed to keep Hanzo above to surface of the water.

Time seemed to blur, and kisses became softer, lazier. The initial heat had died out, and now both were content to cuddle and kiss as the sunset filtered in through McCree’s windows. Hanzo was an incredible man, strong, responsible, and his. Jesse wished his Ma could see him now. She’d be tickled pink to see her boy with so head over tailfins in love, especially with someone like Hanzo, even if he was human. His Ma always understood him, and he knew she'd be able to see how much he and Hanzo cared for each other. 

As the last rays of sunlight faded away, Hanzo began to shift. Jesse knew that Hanzo would need to sleep in his own bed His fingers were alreadt shriveled up from staying in the water too long; the man wouldn’t want to stay the night. Well, Hanzo might want to, but he definitely shouldn’t. The man in question buried his face in the crook of Jesse’s neck, grumbling something in his native tongue, and while McCree had no way of knowing what was said, if he had to guess, Hanzo was probably complaining about how he needed to leave.

“Darlin’, even human’s need sleep.” McCree commented, running his hand soothingly up and down Hanzo’s back. “Think it’s time ya hit the seagrass.”

Hanzo pulled back to look at McCree, wearing a slightly confused, while also amused expression. “Time to what?” He asked.

“I think ya need ta sleep sweetheart.” McCree restated. “Ya look tired, and I’m willing ta bet you’ve been working yerself so hard ya haven’t had a good sleep all week.”

Hanzo pursed his lips, but didn’t argue with him, mostly because Jesse wasn’t actually wrong. Hanzo had gone to bed late every night since his father returned. He had a lot of his studies to catch up on.

“I don’t want to leave yet.” Hanzo insisted.

“I don’t want ya to either,” McCree remarked. “But ya can’t keep yerself up like this. It ain’t healthy.”

“Fine.” Hanzo relented. “Help me get out.” He requested. Hanzo had simply meant to ask for McCree to help push himself to the tank’s edge so he could climb the ladder down, but instead found himself in a bubble of water, slowly floating him down to the ground. If it weren’t for the fact that he trusted Jesse with his life, he might have been a little terrified. When his shoes touched the ground, he felt the water rush up, and watched as it returned to McCree’s tank. “Thank you.” Hanzo said, looking up to the mermaid who had moved to the edge of the tank. “Could you dry me off?” Hanzo asked, as he slipped his still dripping wet sleeves back on.

“No problem, darlin’!” McCree replied, focusing on Hanzo.

Soon the water dried off of his skin and clothes; the only evidence left of what happened were Hanzo’s kiss swollen lips and messy hair. If he was lucky, Hanzo would make it to his room without his father or their guards seeing him, and if he was extremely lucky, he would avoid Genji as well. Gods know that if his brother saw him, the teasing would last weeks. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” Hanzo said, a small smile gracing his lips as he looked at Jesse.

“I can’t wait.” Jesse replied, blowing Hanzo a kiss before watching the flustered human run off into the night.

McCree swam down to the bottom of his tank and curled up in the sand. Mermaids typically chose one mate, and stayed with them for life, or as long as life would allow. When that happened, a mark would usually appear as a symbol of that bond. And for McCree, that mark appeared on his left arm, the face of a dragon. McCree only noticed the mark after Hanzo had left, making his heart swell with pride. A bond could only form if their feelings were mutual. Hanzo didn’t notice the small, red fish on his right thigh until the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send me prompts at my tumblr: mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> English Slang:  
> D’ya : do you  
> Sorta : sort of  
> Ain’t : is not
> 
> Idiom:  
> Down the current : Down the line : later  
> Under his fin : Under his wing : under his guidance  
> Son of a shark : son of a gun : a jocular or affectionate way of referring to someone  
> Smart as a rip(current) : smart as a whip : Very smart  
> Quick as the devil: very fast  
> Tickled pink : very pleased, or entertained  
> head over tailfins : Head over heels : very infatuated/in love  
> hit the seagrass : hit the hay : go to sleep
> 
> Comments and criticisms always welcome!


	11. Their Love Grows Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dad shimada(briefly), kisses, love confessions, and some very intimate moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick thanks to sugarshark420 for motivating me to write this chapter
> 
> writer's block has been a bitch and school hasn't really been helping, but hopefully i'll be able to write more often
> 
> also warning for people who don't like smut, the end of this chapter gets pretty smutty
> 
> as always, not beta'd and might have some grammatical errors i'll try to fix later
> 
> sorry this chapter isn't very long, i'll try to make the next chapter longer

Jesse awoke to the morning light pouring in through his windows. He stretched for a moment before deciding to take a little swim around his tank, maybe catch a few crabs that Hanzo had put in for him. A little snack in the morning was always nice.

McCree had grown accustomed to sensing Hanzo’s and Genji’s presence, which is why when he noticed someone was in the room with him, he was justifiably startled. The only two who had ever visited him here were the brothers. If he hadn’t glanced over in his direction, Jesse wasn’t sure he would have ever known the man was there. The man in questioned seemed to smirk briefly when McCree startled before a scowl returned to his face as he locked eyes with Jesse.

\--

Sojiro Shimada kept his face neutral while he watched the creature swim around it’s tank with slight amusement. ~To be truthful, I thought you would perish within the first month, but I am pleased to have been proven wrong. My sons have done a fine job caring for you. ~ Shimada stated. He slowly made his way around the room, eyes never leaving McCree.

McCree was practically frozen by that gaze. He didn’t remember meeting this man, but if he had to guess by the family resemblance alone, he would guess this man was Hanzo and Genji’s Pa. He didn’t breach the surface of the water, choosing instead to stay right where he was. Jesse could hear a muffled version of what the man was saying, but he was pretty sure it was in Japanese, which he didn’t understand at all. Though he still enjoyed hearing Hanzo’s pretty voice saying things to him in his natural tongue.

~I was afraid they would become rivals. The elders have helped guide the Shimada for centuries, but their training only seemed to divide my sons. Competition is necessary; it allows for their skills to grow as they are tested against one another. But competition rarely leads to comradery. ~ Shimada said. ~With you, I could ask them to work together, outside of sparing. And it seems to have returned the bond they shared when they were boys. I would thank you, but I don’t believe you would understand me. ~ He added, watching the mermaid stare blankly back at him. ~A body that resembles a man, but the brain of a fish. ~

Sojiro noticed that McCree looked visibly healthier than when he’d first arrived. The fisherman that had caught the mermaid had taken very little caution in their care for the creature. His sons on the other hand had proven themselves to be able to care for this creature while still maintaining their studies and training. If they could manage this, he had no doubt in their abilities to run their criminal empire in his passing.

\--

~Father? ~ Hanzo questioned, stepping into McCree’s room with a bowl of fish in his arms. He tried not to sound as surprised as he felt. ~I was told you had left for business this morning. ~

~I will be leaving shortly. ~ Sojiro replied. ~But I wanted to see how you and Genji had been caring for this creature. ~ He explained, gesturing to McCree.

Hanzo kept his emotions hidden, but he internally cringed his father’s choice of words. He wished his father could know that Jesse wasn’t some _‘creature.’_ He was smart, and witty, kind, and strong, but if his father knew the truth, Hanzo couldn’t be sure what he would do with McCree. Keep him? Kill him? Try to use him as a weapon? Hanzo would never allow that, so he stayed quiet.

~You and Genji have done well. ~ Sojiro remarked, turning his gaze away from McCree to Hanzo. His face grew more serious. ~There has been a leak in our organization. One of our informants has been selling information on the shimada-gumi to rival clans. I will be leaving to dispose of him myself. I trust that you and Genji will take care of the grounds while I am away. ~

Hanzo nodded. ~We will. ~ He stated. ~How long will you be gone? ~

~No longer than three days. ~ Sojiro replied. ~I will leave you to your duties. ~ He added before taking his leave.

He waited a moment after his father had left to make sure he was out of earshot before turning his full attention to McCree. “Jesse, are you alright?” Hanzo questioned.

McCree swam up to the surface of his tank so he could answer. “Yeah, Han, I’m fine.” McCree responded. He pushed the wet hair out of his face. He soon found Hanzo sitting on the edge of the tank, next to him, the bowl of fish long forgotten.

“My father didn’t do anything to you, did he?” Hanzo asked, a hint of concern hidden in his tone. McCree looked fine physically, but he seemed like he was not his usual, cheerful self.

“Nah, he just sorta stared me down.” McCree replied; he could practically feel the chill on his skin just from thinking about it. “He was also sayin' somethin', but I couldn’t understand _what_ he was sayin’.”

“That is _somewhat_ reassuring. My father is rarely friendly towards people outside of the shimada-gumi.” Hanzo commented.

“Don’t rightly know what that is, but I’ll take yer word for it.” McCree remarked. He knew Hanzo’s other name was Shimada, same with Genji, but he didn’t know what a ‘gumi’ was.

“So, what do you think of my father?” Hanzo questioned. It was a rare opportunity for Hanzo to get someone’s opinion of his father without their being some ulterior motive behind their answer. McCree had no reason to lie to him.

“Well, I’ve only known him fer a few minutes, and I usually take a little more time than that ‘fore I judge someone. All I really got from ‘im was he has some really scary eyes.” McCree commented. “It felt like he was lookin’ right through me.” He added.

“I promise you, that was merely his resting face.” Hanzo assured him. “He did not seem upset when we spoke, so I do not think you have anything to worry about.”

“Hope so.” McCree remarked. “Hate ta get on his bad side.”

“Scared he’d try to attack you?” Hanzo asked. He was certain his father would not try to harm Jesse, mainly because he did not currently have a reason to; even if he did, McCree was not defenseless, and while highly skilled, his father was growing old. 

“No, well, I mean, _maybe a little_. He didn’t really look like someone I’d wanna fight.” McCree rambled. “I just meant, he’s yer dad, I don’t want him ta hate me, ‘cause I really care about ya, and I don’t wanna cause somethin’ between you are yer Pa ‘cause I upset ‘im.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, although I doubt he would approve of our relationship regardless of your politeness.” Hanzo said honestly, trying not to sound as bitter as the words tasted in his mouth. As much as he would like his father’s approval of their relationship, it was simply unrealistic. “I am meant to be married off to some girl from another clan to gain more power for the Shimada clan. I’m not supposed to be with someone else.”

Jesse cupped Hanzo’s cheek, tilting his head up to meet his gaze. “I don’t wanna get you in trouble, Han.” McCree remarked.

Hanzo was taken aback by the statement, and stared back at Jesse for a moment before putting his own hand over Jesse’s. “I would welcome anyone who wanted to separate us to come and try to take you from me.” Hanzo stated, a fierceness behind his words, and a fire in his eyes. “What I am supposed to do and what I _choose_ to do are very different, Jesse. I _choose_ to be with _you_.”

“Darlin’-” McCree said before leaning in to capture Hanzo’s lips in a searing kiss. Words couldn't describe what he felt in that moment, so maybe actions would instead.

Hanzo ran his tongue along Jesse’s bottom lips, slipping it past parted lips. Time had gone by so quickly for them. He had been with McCree for months now, but it felt as though they hardly had any time with each other. It made each meeting mean more; they craved each other, and used every second to show that to one another. Hanzo could feel Jesse’s hands in his hair, pulling his silk ribbon out so his hair curtained around his face.

When they parted, Hanzo took a moment to catch his breath. Emotions were bubbling up, and against his instincts, he did not want to push them back down. He always showed Jesse how he felt, but he rarely _told_ him. Hanzo cupped Jesse’s cheek, gently guiding McCree to meet his gaze.

“Jesse, I want to know that you know I love you, more than I ever thought possible. You make me want to change fate itself so that we are always together.” Hanzo admitted. “Anata, I cherish each minute I am with you.”

“Sugar, darlin’, sweetpea, _mi amor,_ I love you more than anythin’ else in the world. I’ll stay by yer side as long as you’ll have me.” McCree promised.

“And I yours.” Hanzo stated, leaning in to steal another kiss. When they parted, Hanzo was certain he looked like a mess; kiss swollen lips, flushed cheeks, messy hair, and yet Jesse looked at him as if he’d never seen anything as beautiful.  “Come with me to my room?” He asked.

“Sweetlove, I’d follow you ta the end of the earth.” McCree said, leaning in for one last chaste kiss before bringing himself out of the tank and on to dry ground. When his tail disappeared, Hanzo already had his clothes picked out, a simple red yukata with orange clouds covering it. Jesse slipped it on and barely had a chance to tie his sash before Hanzo had grabbed his hand and started leading him to his chambers.

\--

They managed to avoid the guards, although it wasn’t a terribly impressive feat, since Hanzo had their paths memorized. Once he had Jesse safely in his room, he pinned his love against the door and pulled him into another heated kiss. It felt like years had gone by since they last had time to be alone like this. Hanzo couldn't be sure when it would happen again, so he intended on making the most of this moment with Jesse.

“Han, darlin’, love, _you drive me wild._ ” McCree remarked, his hands moved lower to settle on the small of Hanzo’s back.

“I assure you, the feeling is quite mutual.” Hanzo retorted, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to Jesse’s lips. “Join me in bed?” He requested.

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” McCree replied easily, allowing Hanzo to lead him to his futon. Jesse let Hanzo press him down against the bed while he moved to straddle McCree’s lap. Hanzo’s arms wrapped around his neck and he was pulled into a sloppy kiss.

Hanzo’s hands traveled over McCree’s figure, slipping under his yukata to feel the muscle underneath. Jesse could feel his body getting excited as Hanzo’s hands roamed lower, slipping behind his back to grab McCree’s ass.

Jesse couldn’t stop the sounds he was making from escaping his lips, though most were muffled by Hanzo’s kisses. Jesse knew that he would never grow tired of Hanzo’s lips against his own. He felt heat pooling in his belly. It was a feeling he only felt around Hanzo, and only in his human form. McCree wasn’t sure what it meant, but when the most beautiful man alive was sitting in his lap kissing him like he needed it to breathe, McCree didn’t stop to question it.

As Hanzo leaned against him, pulling their chests flush as they kissed, Jesse could feel something hard pressing into his abdomen. A moment later he could feel his own useless third leg reacting to it, hardening and twitching up. McCree briefly remembered Genji telling him it wasn’t a leg, but a 'dick,' not that that meant anything to him at the time. When Hanzo pulled away from their kiss to breathe, Jesse moved his hand to palm over Hanzo’s cock through his clothes, watching Hanzo to see his reaction.

 _“J-Jesse_.” Hanzo moaned, moving his hands up to cover that pretty mouth of his. The sound was music to his ears, and he wanted nothing more than to hear Hanzo sing for him.

“Like that, Han?” Jesse questioned, continuing to rub Hanzo’s dick. “Do ya want this?” He asked, wanting to confirm that Hanzo was actually enjoying it; he didn't want to misinterpret the situation. 

“ _Please, yes_.” Hanzo pleaded, breath hot against Jesse’s ear. Each moan Hanzo let out set heat straight to his own hardening cock.

"Tell me if you want to stop." McCree stated. They had never gotten this far before, and he didn't want to make Hanzo uncomfortable. 

" _Don't stop_." Hanzo panted. "Jesse, _please,_ keep going."

Hanzo tugged at Jesse’s yukata, tugging the sleeves down. Jesse took the hint and slipped the clothing off, tossing it to the side, leaving nothing to the imagination. Jesse grinned as he let Hanzo’s eyes rake over his figure. “Like what ya see?” He questioned.

“I do.” Hanzo remarked, pulling Jesse into another feverish kiss as he tried to free himself from his own clothes. 

\--

Genji had searched for Hanzo all across the castle grounds. He had been told their father had left this morning, but not why. It was strange for their father to leave so suddenly. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be Hanzo. The door to Hanzo’s room was locked, but Genji had the key, and figured Hanzo was just meditating or something equally boring, so he let himself in.

~Hey, brother, I heard father left this morning, did he tell you why he- oh, _oh shit_ , my bad. ~ Genji said, eyes widening as he took in the scene before him. ~Do you guys want some snacks, lube, a condom? ~ He added, ducking as Hanzo threw a barrage of pillows at him, and cackling as he slammed the door closed and ran for it. He would have to make sure no guards came by Hanzo’s room. It looked like Hanzo was _finally_ getting laid.

 --

Hanzo groaned, burring his face in Jesse’s chest. “Why is he like that?” Hanzo asked rhetorically. “And the _timing_.” He complained.

“Well, I don’t know what he said, but at least he’s gone now.” Jesse remarked, letting his hands roam over Hanzo’s chest, quickly drawing his love’s attention. “ _Now where did we leave off?”_

Hanzo smirked, eyes practically shining as they met Jesse’s. _How did I ever get to be so lucky?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr is mchanzoitshighnoon it you want to send me a prompt for a fic or an idea for this one
> 
> Idioms:  
> On the other hand : oppositely  
> To drive someone wild : to make them crazy, can be in a good or bad way depending on context  
> \--  
> I haven’t decided if dad shimada should retire or die, so maybe comment with what you would like to happen with him. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> \--  
> Comments and Criticisms always welcome and appreciated!


	12. The Retirement Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So i started writing this when the votes were 3-retire and 2-kill and before i finished it was 3-retire and 3-kill so it ended up being a tie, but i already wrote most it so.... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ sorry everyone who wanted it to be really angsty, it does have some light angst, but it's mostly fluff and feelings  
> And, if you wanted death, there is some minor character death that doesn't involve dad shimada

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read
> 
> i should be studying for finals but i also really wanted to get this chapter out
> 
> also thank you to the tumblr anon who sent me a nice message about my fic, it's always motivating to get feedback (*^▽^*)

Hanzo awoke to find himself pressed against a warm body. Their legs tangled together, and Hanzo’s head rested against Jesse’s chest. He found that he always wanted to wake up like this. Jesse smelled like saltwater and sakura blossoms; it was so familiar to him now, he never wanted to live without it.

As sunlight made its way into Hanzo’s room, he decided to trail kisses up Jesse’s neck, and pepper the mermaid's face with little kisses.

“Morning, beautiful.” Jesse greeted, his voice still heavy with sleep, and a big dopey smile on his face that only grew as Hanzo made no motion to stop kissing him.

Hanzo placed a kiss under Jesse’s ear. “Good morning, _Anata_.” He replied, his breath hot against Jesse’s ear. Both of them were still undressed, their clothes scattered around Hanzo’s floor, tossed _somewhere_ in the heat of the moment. One of Hanzo's hands brushed Jesse's inner thigh. 

“Careful there, cutie pie, think it’s a little early for that kind of greetin’.” McCree remarked, turning to capture Hanzo’s lips in a kiss. They kept it chaste, both remembering the mornings were their breath had made them regret everything they had ever done up to that point in their lives.

“Is it ever too early to shower you with my affection?” Hanzo questioned innocently, propping himself up against Jesse’s chest, a smile on his lips as he stared down at McCree.

“Never too early fer that.” Jesse replied, hands finding their way to Hanzo’s hips. “But I have a feeling _affection_ wasn’t all you were plannin’ on givin’ me.” He retorted, a lazy smirk on his face as he gazed up at Hanzo and let his hands slide lower to grab Hanzo’s ass.

Hanzo huffed out a small laugh, and buried his flushed face in Jesse’s neck, trying to muffle the laughter that continued bubbling out of him. “You silly man,” Hanzo mumbled against Jesse’s skin. He let out a content sigh and pushed back into Jesse’s touch. “I don’t think I could love you more than I do now. And I would like to show you my affection _, in many ways_.”

It took them nearly two hours to get out of bed and ready themselves for the day. Once dressed, Hanzo lead Jesse back to the mermaid’s room. Hanzo grimaced at the smell of rotting fish that came from the forgotten bowl left there the day before. While Jesse undressed and returned to the water, Hanzo got rid of the source of the smell, and returned a few minutes later with a box of live shrimp, which he promptly added to the tank.

Jesse swam up to meet him once Hanzo had finished his task and set the, now empty, crate down. Hanzo kept his footing steady on the tank's ladder and leaned in to steal a kiss from McCree, wrapping his arm around Jesse’s neck.

Jesse’s arms were still damp from the water, but Hanzo didn’t mind the wetness of his clothes when Jesse’s hands were on his hips. Hanzo felt Jesse’s tongue trace his bottom lip, and he easily parted them, leaning into the kiss as Jesse’s hands roamed lower. He found his fingers running through McCree’s damp hair.  

Just when he thought there was nothing that could spoil this moment for him; this rare time he had with Jesse; he heard something that made his heart sink in his chest.

~ _Hanzo_. ~ A very familiar, stern voice said. It made Hanzo hesitant to turn around, not wanting to confirm his own suspicions. His body went rigid, and he could feel McCree tense as well. Hanzo took a deep breath, and regretfully pulled himself away from Jesse’s touch to meet his father’s glare burning holes into him.

~Father I- You said you would be gone for three days, what are you doing here? ~ Hanzo questioned. His heart was racing, hundreds of questions flooded his mind; the main one repeating itself was 'is this really happening?'

~The kill was quick, and there was no need for me to linger. ~ His father stated. ~Come to my room, _now._ ~ He ordered, the finality in his tone left no room for arguing. ~It seems that we have much to discuss. ~

Hanzo felt a chill run down his spine, and when he turned back to McCree, he could see the worried look in Jesse’s eyes. He wished he could do something to ease those worries, but all he could do was spare him one last glance before following his father out.

\--

~Son, what do you think you are doing with that _creature?_ ~ Sojiro asked. ~I will not see my son whoring himself out to a mythical beast! Where has your brain gone? ~

~ _That creature has a name, and his name is Jesse McCree. ~_ Hanzo spit back. ~He is more than what you think him to be. And you know _nothing_ of our relationship. ~

~You are certainly _close_. ~ Sojiro retorted. ~ I will not allow this behavior under my roof. He isn’t _human_ , Hanzo. Half of him is _fish_. ~

~ _I don’t care!_ He is loving, caring and compassionate, even though he was stolen from his home and taken here he as always treated me with respect and kindness. I care for him more than anyone on this planet, and I will not let anyone come between us, _including you_. ~ Hanzo stated, drawing his blade and readying himself in a defensive stance. His words dripped like acid off his tongue, and fire burned behind his eyes. He refused to stand idly while his father insulted Jesse, _condemned his love to his face_.

~You would stand against me, for your, _McCree_? ~ Sojiro questioned, drawing his own katana. ~He means that much to you? ~

~ _Yes_. ~ Hanzo replied defiantly.

The doors to the room burst open, momentum allowed them to slam themselves closed as someone entered.

~I said no one could enter- ~ Sojiro started before realizing it was Genji who had entered the room and rushed to Hanzo’s side. His younger son readied his blade against him. He knew that his sons were a force to be reckoned with. Together they could take down any opponent. Both had a fire in their eyes, determination, or perhaps stubbornness. Both fine qualities for a dragon, but dangerous for a man.

~Father, it doesn’t have to come to this, but if you intend on fighting Hanzo, you’ll be fighting me as well. ~ Genji stated, his words final.

~Father, I will _not_ back down from my decision. ~ Hanzo remarked, holding his blade steady.

Sojiro stared back at his son, and saw a reflection of himself in his youth. How could he have been so blind? His son was a man now, not the boy he treated him as, and he needed to remember that. Sojiro held his ground, and collected his thoughts. If a dragon could have an intelligent mind and a soul, why not a mermaid? If his son chose this being, cared for him enough that Hanzo would challenge him, there must be a reason for it. _‘Loving, caring and compassionate’_ that was who his son saw when he looked at ‘Jesse McCree.’

~You truly care about him, don’t you? ~ Their father said, making it sound more like a statement than question. He didn’t wait for Hanzo’s response; it only took one look at his son for him to see the answer he was looking for. Sojiro sheathed his katana. ~Did you ever wonder why the elders disliked your mother? ~ He questioned, a hint of nostalgia evident in his voice. The mood shifted dramatically, though the two brothers did not lower their weapons.

~ _Because they’re stuffy assholes_? ~ Genji remarked. Their mother was kind while the elders were ruthless. They had never seen eye to eye, both brother's knew this.

~Yes, but also because she was from the village. ~ Sojiro stated. ~She was not the woman they had intended me to marry, but she was the one I chose. It seems you have decided what your choice will be as well, my son. You are no longer a boy, and I will endeavor to remember that. ~

Both sons took a moment to process what they’d been told. Genji was the first to recover from the initial shock. ~What did the elders say when you married mom? ~ He asked, while Hanzo remained standing somewhat speechless.

~They threatened to kill her if I didn’t do as they said, and that I would be a dishonor to the clan if i disobeyed them. ~ Sojiro replied, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth at the memories.

~What did you do? ~ Genji questioned, lowering his own weapon.

~I killed the one who dared to threaten my love to my face, and asked if any of the others wished to share his fate. ~ Sojiro informed. ~They didn’t bring it up again, but I fear they may have been harder on the two of you because of my _rebellion._ ~ He added. ~Especially you, my sparrow. ~

~Why not kill them all? ~ Hanzo questioned. He knew his father was not one to spare the life of his enemy.

~The elders have their place in the shimada-gumi, or at least they once did. I spared them because I thought they still might have a purpose in the clan, but their fate is no longer my decision. ~ Sojiro replied.

~What do you mean? ~ Hanzo demanded. His father wasn’t making any sense, everything that happened in the shimada-gumi was his decision.

~My sons, you have shown me that you are ready to take my place. I am stepping down as leader of the clan. ~ Sojiro stated. ~So the fate of the elders and their place in our clan, is now entirely up to you. ~

~ _What_? ~ Genji questioned as Hanzo was again rendered speechless, trying to fully process their father’s words.

Sojiro merely let out a small laugh and turned to leave. ~I know this is sudden, and I hadn’t planned it to be this way, but you have become men now. I am sure you are ready. ~

~ _What_? ~ Genji repeated, still not fully believing what was happening.

~Father? ~ Hanzo questioned, feeling similarly to Genji.

Their father paused before the doors to the room, turning back to look at his sons. ~Hanzo, if this, McCree, has truly earned your love, then know that he has my blessing. ~ He stated, and then promptly left the room. He planned to visit his own love’s grave tonight; he hadn't had a chance to visit it with his normal work schedule; however, he could make the time for it now. Seeing his son with the same determination in his eyes that he once had, Sojiro knew his son was ready to face whatever life could throw his way. His only hope was that Hanzo's ‘McCree’ would make his son as happy as his love had once had made him, and that Hanzo would never have to feel the pain of losing his love, like he had.

\--

~What just happened? ~ Genji questioned.

~I am still processing that myself. ~ Hanzo replied. ~How did you know to come here?”

~McCree texted me what had happened and I came as fast as I could. ~ Genji explained.

~Jesse! I need to see him. ~ Hanzo stated, finally sheathing his katana. ~I have so much to tell him, I don’t even know how to start! ~

~Start with, ' _I’m safe, my dad didn’t try to kill me, and he’s apparently totally cool with me fucking a mermaid as long as we love each other._ ' ~ Genji remarked.

~Be _serious_! ~ Hanzo said, feeling his face flush as he remembered his father’s words. ~This was not how I had imagined he would have reacted. ~

~ _I know, right_? Maybe it’s because he’s getting old? ~ Genji suggested. ~Or the fact that you reminded him of Mother. He was always a softie around her. It was kind of weird how different he was in ‘ _business’_ than he was with her. ~

~You say that as if we are not also trained assassins who don’t act differently around others in our line of work than we do with those close to us. ~ Hanzo remarked.

~Well, I mean maybe _you_ act differently, but I think I barely change, if I even change at all. ~ Genji stated, and was met with a look from Hanzo that said, ‘ _I don’t believe that for a second_.’ Genji folded his arms and rolled his eyes. ~Okay, maybe I’m a bit more ‘ _serious’_ with work, but just a little bit! ~

~Whatever you say, little brother. ~ Hanzo retorted. ~Do you think father was being serious when he said that we would be taking his place? Now of all times? ~

~He hasn’t been one to joke since Mother died, so I think he meant what he said. ~ Genji commented.

~Alright, in that case, there is something I would like you to do for me. ~ Hanzo requested.

\--

“Jesse,” Hanzo breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his love safe and unharmed. He climbed the ladder to McCree's tank, yearning for Jesse's touch. “My love, are you alright?” He asked.

“I’m right as rain, darlin’heart. Are _you_ alright?” McCree questioned. “Yer Pa didn’t seem too happy ta see ya with me. I didn’t get you in trouble did I?” Jesse added, making no move to hide the concern in his tone. He pulled Hanzo into his embrace, running his hand soothingly up and down Hanzo’s back.

“I- he was angry at first.” Hanzo started, feeling anchored by Jesse’s touch and leaning into it. “But, something changed his mind. I don’t know how or what did it, but he, he-” Hanzo was struggling to say it; he still did not believe that his father’s words could have been true. Gentle fingers running through his hair helped to ease his anxiety and ground his thoughts. He looked up to meet Jesse’s gaze. “He approves of our relationship.” He whispered, like if he said it too loud he would break the illusion and reality would come crashing down on him. “He gave you his blessing.”

“Han-” McCree said, holding Hanzo closer. “ _Mi amor_ , that’s good, right? You look pale, did something else happen?”

“No- _yes,_ but that isn’t why I’m-” Hanzo mumbled, fighting to find the right words. “I feel like I’m dreaming, like this isn’t really happening and I’m just going to wake up and have all of this taken away from me.”

“Ain’t nobody gonna take this away from you, sugarplum.” Jesse stated. “What I’ve learned from spendin’ time with you is that it might feel like a dream, but that don’t make this any less real, darlin’ ” He added, placing a chaste kiss on Hanzo’s lips, before leaning down to nip at Hanzo’s shoulder.

The brief pain along with the feeling of Jesse’s teeth scrape against his skin helped signify that he wasn’t dreaming. That he was really here, his love in his arms, and with his father’s blessing. Hanzo let his eyes flutter closed, and for the first time this evening, he let himself relax. “Anata, there is something else I must tell you.” Hanzo stated.

“What is it, angelfish?” McCree asked, continuing to trail kisses along Hanzo’s shoulders and up his neck.

“My father stepped down as leader of our family’s clan,” Hanzo informed, taking a deep breath before continuing. “So that I may take his place with Genji at my side.”

“Honeybee, is that what _you_ want?” Jesse asked, moving back just enough to meet Hanzo’s gaze.

“I, I think it is.” Hanzo replied. “I knew that this day would come, but I had not expected it to be so soon, or this _sudden.”_ He admitted. “I am unsure of what would happen, what if I’m not ready?”

“Now, now, don’t be talkin’ like that darlin’. There ain’t nothin’ that you can’t handle. Yer so smart, and strong, and beautiful, and I know there’s nothin’ you ain’t ready for, sugar.” McCree remarked. “I just want ta know if this is what you wanna do.”

“I- _Yes,_ this is what I want.” Hanzo stated. “I want to make changes; I want to make our clan better than it is now.” Hanzo already had a list of contacts he would cut ties with; seedy business men the elders had insisted they work with to get the clan more power, faster. However, some things were best earned with quality over time rather than quantity very quickly.

“Now that’s the confident, handsome man I know and love. So sure of what he wants and how he’s gonna get it.” McCree teased. “Sweetpea, I know yer gonna be a great leader.”

Hanzo felt his heart ache at the sincerity in Jesse’s words. “Thank you.” He said, leaning in to steal a kiss.

\--

Hanzo stood outside one of the Shimada castle’s planning rooms, specifically the one located on the opposite end of their family’s grounds. Here, he waited for Genji to arrive, both he and his brother were armed with their katana. Behind these doors, every elder in the shimada-gumi were gathered. Genji had told them that their father had something important to discuss with them, though their father would not actually be joining them this evening.

The two brothers quietly barricaded the doors from the outside, so that there was no chance of escape, and moved to scale the side of the building and enter silently through the window. Once inside, the slaughter began. Most of the elders had come unarmed, a fool’s mistake. And the one’s wise enough to bring a weapon still did not stand a chance against a dragon. Red painted the walls and the floor as the old blood was spilled.

Although Hanzo and Genji were trained assassins, up until this point, they had yet to be sent on official missions of their own, and instead were taught the ‘business’ side of the shimada-gumi by their father. As such, neither had killed before this moment. Hanzo was surprised that he didn’t feel any remorse for the lives he had taken. Perhaps it was because he was no longer under their thumb, and after being used by them for so long, they meant nothing to him now.

Hanzo had his brother was beside him, ready to help him rule their clan. And McCree was with him, though Hanzo still intended on helping McCree find his true home and his family. Everything felt as though it was as it should be. Hanzo wiped the blood from his blade and glanced over at Genji. ~Can you call someone to clean up this disgrace? ~ Hanzo requested.

~It will be spotless before morning. ~ Genji replied.

~Thank you. ~ Hanzo said, sparing another glance towards Genji. ~For all you have done for me. ~

~Anytime, brother. ~ Genji stated easily. ~You should go take a bath, Hanzo, our latest work has been rather _messy_. ~

Hanzo nodded and left, silently navigating the halls, avoiding the work staff who would be horrified to see their young master in such a state. Before he was able to reach the bathing chambers, he nearly walked into his father, who was carrying incense and a branch from a sakura tree. His father wore a small smile and gave Hanzo a knowing look, but did not say anything, instead, he continued walking. Hanzo had a good guess as to where his father was going, but he did not dwell on it, choosing to head into the baths before the night became any more eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiom:  
> Right as rain: Perfectly fine
> 
> So, that happened  
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! (^・ω・^ )
> 
> my tumblr is mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Comments and Criticisms always welcome!


	13. What Comes Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sojiro and McCree have a chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there may be one more chapter before i make the epilogue, or the next chapter will be the epilogue¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> also just barely sneaking this in for mer!may   
> omg i didn't think my writers block would delay it this much  
> hopefully the next chapter won't take me a month

Hanzo sat down at his father’s, no _his_ desk, and looked over documents. Almost a month had passed since he had taken his father’s place as leader of the shimada-gumi. Every time he finished something, it seemed like three more documents replaced it. There were jobs to be looked over, offers to be approved or denied, and intel that needed to be thoroughly read so he could plan the clan’s next move.

Hanzo also had an important side project that he was working on that made his says even busier; he was compiling a list of Allies and Enemies to the Shimada Clan. Ties needed to be cut with old ‘ _business partners’_ that dealt in crime the Shimada should not be affiliated with; those who kept their business sloppy only brought dishonor to the Shimada name.

Genji was a great help in compiling the two lists. He had already met with the leaders of the other clans. Genji was always able to read people better than Hanzo could; he was also better at chatting them up and getting them to spill their secrets. Using that knowledge was a good way to keep the Shimada Clan above the rest. Hanzo was grateful for Genji’s assistance, but he couldn’t help but feel that being the leader was his duty, he didn’t want to rely too heavily on Genji and overburden him with his own responsibilities.

Once the list was finished, Hanzo sent out a messenger to inform each of their former partners to either leave Japan, and never return, or face the Shimada wrath. If they left quietly, he would do nothing to them; however, should they ignore his warning, they would need to be dealt with, immediately. With how egotistical these people were, death was certainly going to be their only option.

Hanzo did wish he could spend more time with Jesse, but he knew that he needed to sort out his work first. Once their rivals were taken care of, Genji offered to cover him from time to time, so he could spend time with Jesse. He felt guilty for considering his brother’s offer, but just the thought of being able to escape work and see Jesse filled his heart with hope. As of now, he was lucky if he could spend ten minutes alone with McCree.

\--

Sojiro, now freed of his duty as clan leader, had more time than he knew what to do with. He wanted to get to know the man who won his son’s heart. There must surely be more that meets the eye to ‘McCree’ if Hanzo was so smitten he would stand against his own father to protect his love. If Tsubaki were still here, he could imagine her saying how similar Hanzo was to him when they were young. She would be so happy to see her son so in love; if she were still here she would know what to say to him; encourage him to embrace his happiness.

Sojiro shook his head; Tsubaki wasn’t here anymore, and she wouldn’t want him acting melancholy over her, she would want him to be the father Hanzo needed, the father he should have been years ago. The first thing he needed to do was speak with McCree. He knew his son was truly in love, but he had yet to determine if those feelings were truly returned.

Sojiro decided to get an early start, and went to McCree’s chambers at dawn. When he entered, sunlight had just begun to peak throw the windows of the room. The mermaid in question was still asleep in his tank, and Sojiro was unsure of how to wake him, or if he even should. He was better at interrogation than he was small talk, and while he wanted information, he didn’t want to harm the man. Tsubaki was always better socially than he was. While he was lost in thought, Sojiro didn’t notice as McCree begin to stir in his tank.

Jesse blinked and rubbed his eyes. He was awoken by the sensation of an unknown presence near him, but he wasn’t in open waters anymore, so it couldn’t be another predator. He still felt heavy with sleep, but instinct told him he should look around. There was nothing in the water with him, and when he looked beyond the glass, he noticed a man. This person was clearly the unfamiliar presence he had been sensing. McCree swam closer to the glass to get a better look, and realized it wasn’t just any man, it was Hanzo’s father, and he just made eye contact with him. Jesse was frozen by the stare that met him; he felt like the man was looking through him. Once he fell out of his daze, he swam up to the surface of the water, and peered over the edge of the tank. He suddenly felt nervous, and found it hard to find his voice, so he waved at the man in lieu of a proper greeting. He hoped that wasn’t too rude, since he didn’t want to get off on the wrong fin with Hanzo’s Pa.

Sojiro watched McCree swim to the top of the tank; he idly wondered if the man knew how to speak. He could clearly see how anxious McCree was in his body language, and normally he would use that to his advantage, but he needed to remind himself that this wasn’t an interrogation, it was just a conversation, hopefully a friendly one if he could manage that.

~Good morning. ~ Sojiro greeted. ~You speak, don’t you? ~ He asked, trying to keep his voice calm in an attempt to ease McCree’s worries. While McCree seemed to lose some of the tension in his body, he also looked puzzled, which made Sojiro question whether or not the man really could speak or understand him.

“Uh, Mr. Shimada, Sir, I don’t rightly know what yer sayin’ ” McCree stated. Hanzo had told him how important his father was around here, and he didn’t want to offend the man. He wished he’d paid more attention when Hanzo had tried to teach him some Japanese. His Pa probably spoke English, or Spanish, that would work too. McCree wondered if there were any human customs he was missing; how did humans greet their partners parents?

Sojiro smirked. “English then.” He commented. “I suppose I now know why Hanzo and Genji’s English had improved so much.” He added. “McCree? Is it not?”

“Yes, Sir.” He replied. “Can I do somethin’ fer ya?” McCree questioned. He wondered if Hanzo would look like his Pa when he got older; with a beard, and that raven hair filled with streaks of gray. He beat it would suit Hanzo mighty fine.

“I merely wanted to get to know the man who has won my son’s heart.” Sojiro remarked. “He has shown that he cares for you greatly; I want to make sure those feelings are mutual.”

“They are.” McCree assured him, replying without any hesitation. He wondered what Hanzo had said about him to his father; he hoped they were good things.

“Tell me, how would you describe my son?” Sojiro asked.

“You mean Hanzo, and not Genji, right?” McCree questioned, wanting to confirm before starting off.

“Yes, I meant Hanzo.” Sojiro clarified.

“I don’t rightly know where to start. He’s smart, beautiful, caring, strong, witty, funny, his laugh makes my heart flutter, his smile brightens the whole room, I could spend the whole day just listening to his voice ‘specially if he’s talkin’ about somethin’ he loves and you can just see how passionate he is when he speaks. Hanzo’s incredible, and I feel like the luckiest man alive every time he chooses to spend his time with me.” McCree stated.

“It seems my son isn’t the only one who was smitten.” Sojiro commented, a small smile gracing his lips. He could tell that McCree was an honest person, and hearing him speak clearly conveyed his feelings for Hanzo.

McCree felt his face heat up, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I am.” He admitted. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone the way I love Hanzo.”

“Good. My son deserves someone who will love him unconditionally; I believe you could be that person.” Sojiro remarked.

“I’d sure like ta be.” McCree commented.

“And I am sure that you are aware that if you ever hurt Hanzo, you will be consumed by the wrath of the dragon.” Sojiro stated.

“I would never harm Hanzo.” McCree said, his tone unwavering. “If I ever did, I would welcome that wrath.”

“Good.” Sojiro replied. “I am glad to see that you are taking this seriously. I have one last request of you.”

“Yes?” McCree asked, staring down at the elder Shimada.

“Take care of my son; make him happy.” Sojiro requested.

“I’ll do all I can.” McCree promised.

“Thank you.” Sojiro said, meeting McCree’s gaze.

\--

Sojiro stepped outside and watched as the breeze carried cherry blossoms through the air. He never had the time to admire their beauty before. But he couldn’t stay and watch them for long, because he had one last thing he wanted to do today. Sojiro went to his old office, now it was Hanzo’s, and as he had suspected, his son was still hard at work. He admired his son’s dedication, but he knew firsthand how unhealthy it could be if Hanzo skipped meals and missed sleep because of it.

~Hanzo. ~ Sojiro said, making his presence known. ~Do you have a moment? ~

~Yes. ~ Hanzo replied instinctively, looking over at the door to meet his father’s gaze. ~What do you need? ~ He asked, setting down the paperwork he’d been looking over.

~Over this past month, I have had time for reflection, and I have something I need to tell you. ~ Sojiro began. ~Being the head of the clan is a full time job. It is filled with many sleepless nights, unending stress tied to each mission you order, and the feeling that what you do is never enough. ~

~I understand what my duty is, father. ~ Hanzo replied, looking back down at the papers in front of him. ~I do what I must. ~ He added.

~I would like to remind you that you are not alone. ~ Sojiro stated, his words caught Hanzo by surprise. He found his son’s eyes drawn back to his, and to his amusement, his son’s eyes were wide, and his mouth was hanging open slightly. ~Genji is with you, and you would be wise to share this burden with him, rather than try and face it alone. ~ He added. ~My greatest regret is that I always chose to put my work above my family, above Tsubaki… You are young, do not allow your life to wither away like I did mine, Hanzo. You have a duty to your clan, but you also have a duty to your happiness. ~

Hanzo remained where he sat, papers and files piled high in front of him. Of all the things his father could have said to him, he would have never imagined it would be that. He couldn’t fathom how to respond to such a statement. After all he had been taught, it was rather shocking to hear such an admission from his father.

~I will leave you to think on my words ~ Sojiro remarked, stepping out of the office and walking  back to his own quarters.

\--

Hanzo didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sun appeared to be setting when Genji walked in, carrying a bento with him.

~You missed your meals, _again._ ~ Genji remarked, plopping himself down in the seat across from Hanzo, and dropping the bento on the desk in front of Hanzo. ~Your negligence is going to kill you far before our enemies will. ~ He added.

~Sorry, I will try to take better care of myself. ~ Hanzo replied, suddenly realizing how hungry he was now that food was in front of him. He felt like a child, unable to take the most basic care for himself as he hyper-focused on planning out the clan’s next move. There was so much intel to go over, and while most of it seemed useless and repetitive, there were important details scattered throughout the files that he would need to know.

~Finish eating and go to bed, brother. You look like you haven’t slept in weeks. ~ Genji commented.

~It’s only been three days- ~ Hanzo began before he was cut off.

~ _Three days!_ ~ Genji exclaimed. ~And you said _I_ have unhealthy habits. ~ He scoffed. ~You are aware that you _need_ sleep to survive and function, _right_?~

Hanzo knew that teasing was one of the ways Genji tried to hide that he was worried about something, and that he cared. ~I promise I will try to eat properly and rest regularly. ~ Hanzo replied earnestly. ~This has all been so _sudden_ , I still don’t fully understand what I’m doing, and I don’t want to fail. ~ He admitted.

~You won’t fail. ~ Genji stated confidently. ~I wouldn’t let you. I want to help, just _let me_. ~

Hanzo looked up at Genji, and all at once he could feel the exhaustion hit him. ~Could you finish reviewing these plans while I rest? ~ He asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

Genji’s eyes lit up, and he nodded immediately. ~Yeah, of course! Go to bed, I’ll let you know the results in the morning. ~ He replied. ~I’ll be extra thorough! ~

~Thank you, Genji. ~ Hanzo said, standing to leave. ~I trust your judgement with these. ~ He added, motioning to the documents.

\--

With that, he left and began walking; however, rather than finding himself going towards his room, he realized he’d walked to McCree’s instead. Jesse hadn’t gone to sleep yet, and when he saw Hanzo, he immediately swam to the top of the water.

“Long time no see, Beautiful.” McCree greeted, smiling like the sun was still shining. “What brings you here?” He asked.

“Come to bed with me?” Hanzo requested, his body was too tired to climb the tank and kiss Jesse, but he wanted nothing more than to be with him again. It had been two days since he’d seen Jesse, but that had only been for five minutes before he needed to leave for a briefing. “I’ve missed you. I don’t want to sleep alone again.” He added.

Jesse’s face softened, and soon he had bubbled himself out of the water, and was standing before Hanzo, naked, and leaning in to kiss the man.

Hanzo melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Jesse’s waist. He had missed this, more than he thought he had. He loved the feeling of Jesse’s body in his hands, and his lips against his own. When was the last time they were able to do something like this? A week ago, perhaps two? When their lips parted, he felt breathless. His cheeks were flushed, his lips were swollen, he must have looked a mess, and yet Jesse’s eyes still sparkled when he looked at him, as if Hanzo had never looked better.

“Darlin’ I’ve missed ya too.” McCree admitted. “I know you got work, and I know it’s all important, and I don’t wanna be selfish, but I just want to spend every second I can with you.” He added.

“And I you, Jesse.” Hanzo said, pushing McCree’s hair out of his face. He could feel the anxiety swelling up in his chest. “I wish I could spend all my time with you, but I can’t. I will try to make time to see you more often, things have just been so hectic and-”

Jesse, cupped Hanzo’s cheek and put his finger over the man’s lips. “Shh, it’s alright Sugarplum, you don’t gotta justify yerself ta me.” Jesse assured him, smiling as Hanzo relaxed under his touch. He leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his lips. “Ya look tired, Sweetpea, let’s get you ta bed.”

“That sounds like a very good idea.” Hanzo agreed. “But first put something on, if one of our servants saw you I’m afraid they would faint.” He added. “Though, do not feel like you need to trouble yourself with clothing once we are safely back in my room.”

“I think I’ll take ya up on that, ‘til then, I’ll try ta be quick.” Jesse replied, feeling Hanzo’s eyes on him as he picked out a yukata to wear and dressed himself. If Hanzo didn’t look so plum tuckered out, he might have made a show of it. Instead, he dressed himself in record time, and returned to Hanzo’s side, where he picked up the shorter man, and began to carry him to his room.

Hanzo let out an indignant squeak as he was picked up, and instinctively wrapped his arms around McCree’s neck. He wanted to protest, but found his eyelids feeling heavier, and instead chose to rest his head in the crook of Jesse’s neck. He forgot how much he missed the smell of Jesse; the delicious mix of cherry blossoms, saltwater, and something that was just McCree.

He didn’t know when they had reached their room, Hanzo simply went from being in Jesse’s arms, to being in his bed. Jesse helped him disrobe, and just as he was about to complain about the lack of warmth, McCree laid down with him, holding him close. Hanzo hadn’t realized how safe he felt, wrapped up in McCree; how comfortable it was to simply lay with him. He fell asleep almost instantly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiom:  
> get off on the wrong fin : get off on the wrong foot: Have a bad first impression  
> plum tuckered out: exhausted, without energy
> 
> also my inspiration for mom Shimada's name:  
> Tsubaki (Camellia) – Spring. This is a beautiful flower often used in traditional Japanese patterns. It means “humility,” “discretion,” and “the perfect love.”  
> (tsunagujapan.com/10-beautiful-japanese-flowers-and-their-meanings/)
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! (・ω・)/
> 
> my tumblr is mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Comments and Criticisms always welcome!


	14. Into the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse goes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took a while. Long story short, a lot of things happened that delayed this, but it's here now.
> 
> This is the last chapter, but I'll probably add an epilogue later 
> 
> I also just finished this, so there may be some grammatical errors, but i really wanted to post this since its been forever, so i'll go over it later to try and fix any mistakes

A year had passed. In that time, Hanzo was able to maintain a firm grip on the clan and with it, the clan regained a solid foundation. His free time had been spent getting clues out of McCree, little details of his home that he could remember, with them, Hanzo’s chance of locating it improved. Hanzo had narrowed his search down to 500 miles of ocean before he finally found it. He had satellite photos of the area printed out. Hanzo didn’t want to get McCree’s hopes up, since he wasn’t sure if it truly was his home, so he waited for the right moment.

He pondered over how to bring up the photos, to see if McCree recognized them, and eventual found the perfect way. The three islands that McCree remembered were available for purchase. He could show the photos to Jesse and ask him for an opinion. He of course already purchased the islands. If he was wrong about them being the key to finding Jesse’s family, Hanzo could still use them to store smuggled items.

Genji would be gone for the next few months. In an attempt for better PR, Genji agreed to temporarily stay with a group of omnic monks in the mountains of Tibet. Hanzo was sure his brother would find it dull, but Genji always wanted to travel. He was sure his little brother would find some way to entertain himself; hopefully, without undoing the good PR they were building up.

Hanzo tried to quell the uneasiness in his stomach, and entered Jesse’s chambers.

As soon as he spotted Hanzo, McCree swam up to the top of his tank. “Well, ain’t you a sight fer sore eyes, Sugar.” Jesse greeted.

“I saw you last night.” Hanzo retorted.

“Feels like ages.” McCree replied.

“I have something I wish to show you.” Hanzo stated. He had laminated the pictures so McCree could hold them without dampening the paper. “I was thinking of purchasing some islands, and I wanted to know what you thought of them.”

“What do ya need islands fer?” Jesse asked, taking the photos handed to him. “Now wait just a second, I think, are these…” He trailed off, holding the pictures closer to his face to inspect them further. “These are near my home.” He finally stated.

Hanzo felt relief wash over him, he had finally found it. “I was hoping that was so.” He remarked.

“Han, does this mean ya know where my ma is?” Jesse asked.

“Unless your old school has moved on to new territory, yes, I have her location.” Hanzo answered.

“They’d never move. Gabe’s too stubborn ta let anyone take over our turf.” McCree commented.

The momentary relief that Hanzo felt soon turned to a sense of dread. What if Jesse didn’t want him anymore. Surely he would rather be with someone of his own kind. Hanzo would still let Jesse go, but it would hurt if McCree never wanted to see him again.

“Darlin’ heart, you look paler than the sand at night. Is somethin’ wrong?” Jesse questioned.

“No, I just…” Hanzo began, refusing to meet Jesse’s eyes. “If you return, would you let me visit you?” He asked.

“Sweetpea, there ain’t nothin’ I’d like more than that.” Jesse replied. “I don’t care where I am as long as I get ta see you.”

“Jesse.” Hanzo said, feeling tears start to well up behind his eyes. He leaned in to kiss McCree. It had been so long since he had time for anything more than chaste kisses stolen before Hanzo was needed elsewhere.

It was unfair to keep McCree locked up in this room alone. Hanzo would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy always knowing where to find Jesse and being the center of his affections, but he knew Jesse deserved better. He deserved to be free, and with his family. Hanzo could visit, but with his schedule, it would be difficult. Hanzo was determined to make this work. Genji had reminded him that he could call Jesse every day; that would help relieve some of his stress in knowing that Jesse was alright.  

\--

Hanzo arranged it so he and McCree would fly out a week before Genji was scheduled to leave for Tibet. One of the Shimada brothers needed to stay in Hanamura; there enemies were always looking for an opportunity to strike, if the castle were left unguarded by the Shimada dragons, it would be their undoing.

Hanzo was discovering that Jesse did not like planes. Jesse had taken on his human form, and was currently wearing on of Hanzo’s old light blue yukatas. The Shimada Jet was the fastest way to get Jesse home.

“People aren’t supposed ta fly, Han.” Jesse commented, firmly holding onto Hanzo’s hand as he glanced out the window. “It ain’t right.”

“I’m sorry that you’re uncomfortable, but a boat would have taken too long, and this is the only way we can travel.” Hanzo explained for the fourth time this trip.

“Not a big fan of boats either.” McCree remarked.

Hanzo pressed a kiss to Jesse’s cheek. “Perhaps I could distract you?” He offered.

“I don’t think I’d ever say no to that, Pumpkin.” Jesse replied.

The flight attendants already knew they were not allowed into the cabin of the plane without his permission, so he didn’t need to worry about being interrupted. Hanzo gracefully moved to straddle Jesse’s lap. Hanzo could feel McCree’s hands on him as he leaned in to close the space between them, tongue slipping between Jesse’s lips. He wanted to memorize the taste of Jesse; how it felt to be touched by his hand. This needed to last as long as he could drag it out. Hanzo didn’t know how many chances he would get to ravish Jesse after they landed, and he wanted to make this count.

If McCree would only get to see Hanzo in person a handful of times each year, Hanzo needed to make sure Jesse would still want him. Still crave his lips against his own, and on cock. Hanzo would make Jesse scream his name until his nerves were overwhelmed with pleasure. It felt silly, since Jesse only reassured him that they would always be together, but Hanzo still felt the need to win Jesse over, even more so than he already had.

The flight was the last thing on Jesse’s mind, and they were both caught off guard when it finally came time to land. Hanzo redressed and tried to calm his hair down. There was no hiding the swollen lips, but he didn’t intend on being seen. He treated McCree’s family reunion like he would any other mission. He was to get in and out unseen; the last thing he needed was some journalist catching wind of the Shimada clan and its ties with mermaids. McCree and his family would have to relocate; Hanzo certainly didn’t want that.

Hanzo had been meticulous with his planning, and arranged for a small speedboat to be ready by the time they reached the intercoastal. Hanzo left his guards behind, so he and Jesse were alone while they sailed out to Red Snapper territory.

“Is it weird that I’m gettin’ all nervous?” Jesse asked.

“You have not seen your family in quite some time.” Hanzo remarked. “I believe your nerves are justified.” He added, not commenting on the fact that he was masking his own anxiety.

“What if they don’t want me anymore?” Jesse questioned.

“They would be fools.” Hanzo answered. “You are worthy of love and praise. If they cannot see that, then they do not deserve you.”

“Shucks darlin, yer such a sweet talker.” McCree joked, but his shoulders began to relax. “Thanks.” He added. “Fer everything.” Jesse carefully moved from his seat to peck Hanzo’s cheek.

“I love you, Anata.” Hanzo stated. “No matter how far apart we are, my love for you will never falter.”

“I know.” Jesse replied, capturing Hanzo’s lips. “I love you, too, Sugar. I’ll give ya a call every day.”

“I will hold you to that.” Hanzo replied.

Soon they were a few hundred yards out from the islands. Jesse shed his clothes and dived in. Hanzo watched as McCree disappeared under the water, swimming off faster than he had ever seen the mermaid go. For a moment, panic filled Hanzo’s chest. McCree was gone, and he might never return. He hoped that he would, but Hanzo could never be sure. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he sensed a new presence close to him. Hanzo turned and looked over the boat. He saw a middle-aged woman, tan skin, long, dark hair; she looked like she had been crying, but she was smiling at him.

That was when Hanzo noticed that McCree had moved next to the woman. The resemblance was striking.

“Thank you for bringing him back.” The woman said, her voice was smooth, like silk.

Hanzo simply nodded, as he wasn’t sure what else to do.

Jesse’s mom swam closer to the boat, and pulled herself up so she could meet Hanzo’s gaze. “Thank you.” She said again. “I never thought I would see him again. Thank you for bringing him back to me.” She extended her hand to Hanzo and presented him with a pearl necklance. “Please accept this.” She added. When Hanzo took it for her, she said nothing, but gave him a small nod before slipping beneath the water.

McCree waited a moment before pulling himself up on the side of the boat. “I’ll miss seein’ you, but I’ll never ferget you, Han.” Jesse promised. “I will always keep ya close ta my heart.” He added, stealing one last kiss before joining his mother back under the waves.

Hanzo stayed there for a few minutes, knowing that Jesse was gone, and coming to terms with what that would mean. He stared at the pearls in his hand. Hanzo didn’t know why Jesse’s mother would give him a gift such as this, but he put it on regardless. When he had collected himself, Hanzo sailed back to shore.

After Hanzo had been picked up by his car, he felt his phone vibrate against his pocket and immediately checked it. “Call me when you land back in Hanamura. I miss you already, love ya darlin’ heart <3.” From Jesse McCree.

Tears landed on Hanzo’s phone screen. The carefully crafted mask Hanzo had been wearing crumbled as tears streamed down his face. His breath was ragged and his nose was runny, but in the back of his heavily tinted car, Hanzo allowed himself to cry. When they had arrived at the airport, Hanzo’s hair was perfectly tied back, dark sunglasses hid his eyes, and he carried himself with the same confident, commanding air that required of the leader of the Shimada clan.

\--

Open water, no glass walls to bump into, Jesse had forgotten what it felt like to be _free_. It was incredible. His mother had been easy to find. She always liked to stay by the patch of turtle grass that grew near the rock reef. He’d been nervous to see her, but she welcomed him home with open arms. He hoped that the rest of his school would want to see him.

“JESSE!” Was the only warning he got before he was knocked back and tackled into the sand. “You are an idiot, where have you been?”

He didn’t need to look at his attacker to know who it was. “Nice ta see you too, Sombra.” McCree greeted. She had always been like a sister to him; it felt so nice to see her again.

“Answer the question, Jesse.” Sombra retorted. “You don’t get to disappear for an eternity without some sort of explanation.”

“I got captured by humans, sold as a pet, my would-be owner is now my boyfriend, and he helped me figure out how to get home.” Jesse explained.

She narrowed her eyes at him, searching for any form of deception. After a moment, she hugged him. “Don’t do something that stupid again.” She muttered before swimming off.

After Sombra’s departure, Jesse soon found himself swarmed by his old friends, each asking for stories of what happened when he was away.

“Did you really swim with the barracudas?” “What’s it like on land?” “Are you really dating a human?”

The questioning seemed to last forever, but Jesse did his best to answer them honestly. His Ma didn’t like hearing about the barracuda, but she did seem interested in learning more about Hanzo.

Angie came to speak with him after most of the other merfolk left. The first thing she did was inspect his tail and ask him how he got his injuries. After he told her about the barracuda she sighed and scolded him about being more careful. It was like he never left. Angie worked her magic and patched up his fins.

“I missed you, don’t go getting yourself into any more trouble.” Angela stated.

“Yes, Ma’am.” McCree replied.

Jesse noticed Gabe lurking in the distance. He simply gave Jesse a nod, which translated to ‘we’ll talk later, in private.’ Jesse nodded back, and that seemed good enough for Gabe.

After the excitement died down, everyone seemed to go their seprate ways, well, almost everyone. His Ma stayed attached to his fin, asking him question after question about Hanzo. His phone started ringing and he wound up having to explain that to her too, all while trying to talk to his Sweetheart.

\--

~Lots of people make long distance work, brother. ~ Genji remarked. ~And most aren’t wealthy enough to fly and see their significant other like you can. ~

~Work prevents me from doing that often; you know this. ~ Hanzo retorted.

~It was the right thing to do. ~ Genji stated. ~You two will work through this. ~

~I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier.” Hanzo replied, leaning back in his seat. He still had a large stack of files that he needed to review.

~You said he sounded happy over the phone, right? ~ Genji questioned.

~Yes. He seemed very pleased to see his old friends and family again. ~ Hanzo answered.

~And how do you feel about that? ~ Genji asked.

Hanzo paused, thinking the question over. ~I am happy to know that he is in a place where he can be loved and free to do what he pleases, but it does hurt to know that that place is not with me. ~

~Maybe it will be one day. ~ Genji commented. ~Father retired from this life, perhaps you will too. ~ He added. ~You could build a house on one of those islands. Grow old together. All that romantic bullshit you like so much. ~

Hanzo threw a pen at Genji, which his brother easily dodged. ~Your advice is helpful, yet you still manage to ruin it. ~

~I only speak the truth, Hanzo. ~ Genji replied. ~It’s part of my charm. ~

~I’m not sure how charming the monks you’ll be staying with will find you. ~ Hanzo commented.

~I don’t know what you’re talking about. ~ Genji retorted. ~They’re going to love me. I will be the life of the monastery. ~

~When you say things like that, it makes me question whether you should be the one to go. ~ Hanzo remarked. ~Perhaps there is still time to select a different representative of the clan. ~

~Nope, I’m already promised not to intentionally break anything or pester the monks, so that means I get to go. ~ Genji argued, knowing that Hanzo had no serious intention of replacing him. ~I think you’re just going to miss my winning smile. ~

~I think you’re going to have fun for the first two days and then get very bored. ~ Hanzo countered. ~And you tend to misbehave when you are bored. ~

~I’ll find some nondestructive way to entertain myself. ~ Genji replied.

~You can never seem to accomplish that when you are here. ~ Hanzo remarked.

~I’m taking that as a challenge. ~ Genji stated. ~I am going to be an _angel_ while I’m there. I will make you eat your words. ~

~You are going to miss your flight if you do not hurry. ~ Hanzo commented.

~What? It’s not like it’s going to leave without me, we own the jet. ~ Genji retorted.

~You shouldn’t keep our pilot and flight staff waiting. It is rude. ~ Hanzo remarked.

Genji scrunched up his face and stuck his tongue out at Hanzo, since he knew his brother was right, but he didn’t want to admit that. ~Fine, I’ll be going then. ~ Genji said, walking over to Hanzo and giving him a small hug. ~You are the strongest, smartest man I know. I trust that you will be fine on your own and you and McCree love each other too much to not figure this out. ~ he added, before pulling back and meeting Hanzo’s gaze. ~If you ever try to bring this conversation up ever again I will adamantly deny it because I’m way too cool for all this feelings and shit. ~

That pulled a laugh out of Hanzo, and for a moment, he realized that he hadn’t laughed since he and Jesse had been apart. Maybe Genji was right. ~Go catch your plane, brother. ~

~I’m already on my way there. ~ Genji announced, giving Hanzo a small wave as he walked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiom  
> attached to his fin : stayed at his side, almost clingy 
> 
> my tumblr is mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com
> 
> Comments and Criticisms always welcome !!!

**Author's Note:**

> [Art!](https://www.mchanzoitshighnoon.tumblr.com/post/153648603984/%E3%82%B8-love-your-fic) [by Ecchima](https://www.ecchima.tumblr.com)


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